As the Australians worried about Sachin Tendulkar his doppelganger slipped under their guard.

Virender Sehwag, who looks like a carbon copy of his more illustrious Indian team-mate when he's in the field, tormented Australia's attack as India reached 4-329 at stumps on the first day of the Boxing Day Test, with Sourav Ganguly on 20 and VVS Laxman on six.

Australia got some late wickets but with India 1-0 up in the series, it was a perfect start for the tourists after Ganguly won the toss and asked his openers to face a fired-up Brett Lee.

Sehwag, through his height, his posture at the crease, the tilt of his head as he waits for the bowler, looks like a Tendulkar clone - until he starts hitting the ball.

Where Tendulkar is classical, Sehwag is home-made but he won't change his extravagant back lift or stand-and-deliver style for anything.

"I'm happy with my technique - if I start shuffling my feet I can't hit the ball as well as I can without shuffling," Sehwag said.

With Tendulkar in a slump that's turning into a rut after he made a first-ball duck, India needed Sehwag to play the dashing innings every one expected to see from the little master.

With scores of 0, 1, 37 and 0 Tendulkar is averaging 9.5 in this series.

He got the full face of the bat to a legside delivery from Lee and was caught by Adam Gilchrist.

Where Tendulkar was all out of luck, Sehwag rode his to the tune of 195 runs - a 233-ball innings studded with 25 fours and five sixes before he was caught in the deep trying to bring up his double ton with a six off a Simon Katich full toss.

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