David Warner is the new Virender Sehwag, but in his innings of 180 at the WACA Ground Australia's remarkable new opening batsman displayed a superior technique and application to the free-spirited Indian.
The comparison would have been an outlandish one to make only 12 months ago, when Warner was not a regular member of New South Wales' Sheffield Shield side, but now it flatters Sehwag.
As Warner twisted the sword between India's shoulder blades before falling on it 20 runs short of a double century on the second day of the Perth Test, he confirmed he could be a player every bit as special for Australia as Sehwag has been for India.
Unhappily for India, the Delhi daredevil has shown little resolve in this series and was caught nicking last night as his team slumped closer to a 3-0 series deficit. It was his fourth score of 10 or less in the series, while Warner's 180 from 159 balls outstripped in one hit India's first innings total of 161 (in 242 balls).
If Warner had not already taken the Test away from India with his tremendous ton on day one (the equal fourth-fastest in history) he did yesterday.
The adventurous Warner had the more centred Ed Cowan for company and the pair's opening stand of 214 suggested they have a chemistry that may not have been immediately obvious from their contrasting backgrounds and personalities. It was Australia's highest opening stand since Phil Jaques and Simon Katich combined for 223 in Barbados in the winter of 2008.
The 25-year-old Warner has now made five centuries in 16 first-class games, including a double century in an Australia A game against Zimbabwe.
Warner slept on 104 not out overnight and returned to continue his punishment of India's bowlers, who showed renewed discipline after a nightmarish first day.
A straight six was punched over Ishant Sharma's head, and another was muscled off Zaheer Khan, taking his tally of sixes to five, with 20 fours.
Warner's boundless energy seemed undiminished even after he was struck on the funny bone by medium pacer Vinay Kumar, and that was the most damage Kumar did until he picked up the wicket of Mike Hussey later in the day.
Warner was dropped once, on 126, by Virat Kohli at first slip, and eventually departed when Yumesh Yadav took an excellent catch running backwards beneath a swirling ball at long-on.
When you are as down and out as India is in this series, you celebrate small victories, and so fast bowler Zaheer took great delight in sending off Brad Haddin with a kiss upon dismissing the struggling Australian wicketkeeper for a duck.
The war of words between Haddin and Zaheer dominated the week leading up to the match. Haddin said India breaks under pressure, and he had a point, but so did Zaheer when he fired back that the Australian should concentrate on his own game. It flared again on the field.
The Indian paceman welcomed Haddin with a ball that struck the Australian on the arm. He followed up by giving Haddin a mouthful and soon afterwards had him caught behind for a three-ball duck.
That took Haddin's series run tally to 33 runs at an average of 11, along with three dropped catches (although he dived and held a blinder to dismiss Sehwag last night), and will undoubtedly amplify the cries for him to be replaced by Matthew Wade, if not for the fourth Test in Adelaide then for the one-day series against India and Sri Lanka.
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