What we saw today at the Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk was Indian cricket's changing of the guard. It's been on the cards for a while now, but today Virender Sehwag finally stepped alongside Sachin Tendulkar as the fans' chosen one. For a decade and more, an epoch that has seen cricket metamorphose from a sport to something that means a whole lot more, Tendulkar has been on a pedestal all his own. In the early phase of his career, it was Mohammad Azharuddin and Vinod Kambli that were the sturdy oaks trapped in the shade of the sequoia. For the last half-decade, it's been Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.

Sehwag, though, wields a distinctive willow, one that won't be subjugated by any other. In his very first Test, he matched his idol almost stroke for stroke at Bloemfontein and, since then, the cult following has taken root at a speed straight out of Alien, or some other sci-fi flick. When he came out to bat yesterday evening, playing with beautifully controlled aggression almost from ball one, the crowd started chanting his name. And the crescendo of noise that greeted his walk out to the middle this morning was something previously reserved only for Tendulkar.

Audience hysteria apart, Sehwag these days bats with the refreshing freedom and flamboyant aggression that made Tendulkar a cricketing icon second only to Bradman. His uncomplicated approach can get him into trouble in bowler-friendly conditions – as occasionally happened in England – but on a pitch like this, he can go at the opposition so hard it hurts. He was dropped twice today, but his confidence is such that the second missed chance was followed by a mammoth six that brought up his fifty. If the word doubt is part of his vocabulary, it certainly doesn't show in his batting.

Soon after Sehwag's departure, Tendulkar arrived at the crease, original in place of replica. The crowd cheered him all the way to the middle, but the near-delirium that greeted Sehwag was missing. For his part, Tendulkar started off as if intent to prove that neither Sehwag nor anyone else can match him in his pomp. There were some spanking drives off Carl Hooper, but as the afternoon wore on the strokes dried up. The crowd here is far more discerning and patient than at any other Indian Test venue but the sense of restlessness – almost frustration – was tangible. Several times in the past year, Tendulkar has shut up shop in the face of pretty ordinary bowling, to the bewilderment of his supporters.

Perhaps that accounts for the growing numbers of Sehwag groupies. His Test career so far has realised 754 runs at 53.86, and more importantly, those runs have come at 68.23 per 100 balls. He generates the same level of excitement as Adam Gilchrist, neither believing in giving the bowlers half an hour, or even half a minute. The latter-day Tendulkar has sacrificed some of his flair for efficiency and a wait-and-watch approach. Sehwag too believes in waiting and watching ... before sending the ball to the rope.

West Indies salvaged some badly bruised pride today, with the quick bowlers to the fore. Mervyn Dillon bowled beautifully and could have had more than two wickets - the Ganguly one was an early Christmas present from Asoka de Silva - but for some characteristically sloppy fielding. And Jermaine Lawson, if he can master those two great imponderables – line and length – will soon be up there with Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee as one of the quickest and most dangerous bowlers around.

If the West Indian batsmen give their bowlers some runs to play with second time around, we might still have a game on, which is more than could have been said after a too-low-for-zero showing yesterday.

Dileep Premachandran is assistant editor of Wisden.com in India.

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