Former India opener Sunil Gavaskar said Virender Sehwag's century in the second Test against the West Indies at St Lucia reminded him of Caribbean great Viv Richards.

The free-spirited Sehwag smashed 180 off 190 balls, striking 20 fours and two sixes on the opening day on Saturday to set up a huge first-innings total of 588-8 declared.

"With him one can never be angry but only upset, and that is because he has denied us the entertainment that we feel is ours by getting out early," Gavaskar wrote in his syndicated newspaper column on Monday.

"Not this time, as he went from strength to strength, playing some shots that, dare one say it, the original master blaster Viv Richards would be proud to play."

The 27-year-old has been a key member of the team since making his Test debut against South Africa in 2001.

Questions, however, were raised about his technique after England's fast bowlers found a chink in his armour, an apparent weakness against the short ball delivered from wide on the popping crease.

Sehwag managed just 95 runs in three Tests against England at home earlier this year and only 78 runs in five innings during the one-day series.

But he returned to form in typical fashion, smashing 99 off 75 balls in the first session at St Lucia before amassing a fine innings to put India in command.

"When one watches him bat, there's a sense of anticipation, for the unexpected is only a ball away when he is at the crease," wrote Gavaskar.

"The best part is that Sehwag has the incredible knack of making up for his lack of runs in previous matches by getting big hundreds when he gets going."

"At the rate at which he gets the runs, he puts his side in a position to dominate the rest of the game."

He top-scored for India with 237 runs in the one-day series that preceded the Tests, which the West Indies won 4-1.