Kolkata (PTI): Star cricketer Sourav Ganguly on Saturday congratulated South African Graeme Smith and Neil Mckenzie for setting a new world record for the opening wicket, but said the old feat compiled by the Indian pair of Pankaj Roy and Vinoo Mankad was more praiseworthy, as it was made against a tough opposition like New Zealand.

"Records are meant to be broken. This is a normal thing. But I will give more value to the feat of the Indian pair, as they scripted such a marathon partnership against New Zealand," Ganguly said here.

Smith and McKenzie rewrote history books in the ongoing second Test opposite minnows Bangladesh in Chittagong by stitching together a 415-run stand for the first wicket that surpassed the 52-year old record by Roy and Mankad.

The Indian duo piled up 413 runs for the opening wicket in Chennai in 1956.

Roy's son and former Test cricketer Pranab Roy said that he would have been happy had the record been eclipsed by an Indian pair.

In this context, Roy recalled that Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid had piled up a 410-run opening stand against Pakistan at Lahore in 2006.

"I thought Viru and Rahul would ensure that the record remained with the Indians. But they were three runs short. Rather than the South African batsmen, I would have liked it had our boys achieved the feat," he said.

"I do feel a trifle bad, as my father was involved in the world record. But then, that they held the record for 52 years, is itself a great achievement," he added.