Tendulkar test excites Panesar

Panesar's most precious moment in cricket came 14 months ago when he marked his England debut by trapping Tendulkar lbw for his first Test wicket.

Tendulkar signed the match ball for Panesar and joked as he handed it over: "That will never happen again."

Panesar holds 'The Little Maestro' in such high regard he still insists it was a "lucky" wicket. But the other 64 on his Test record indicate otherwise - and England would love Panesar to prove Tendulkar wrong more than once as they look to build on their 3-0 Test series win over the West Indies.

"It was a great feeling to get my first Test wicket. Sachin was my childhood hero and somehow it hit the pad before the bat!" said Panesar.

"Then you start celebrating, running towards point then third man and fine leg! When you play against such great players, that is the impact they have on you. Your energy comes out and you are flying. It is one of my most treasured moments. That ball is precious and kept safely in my bedroom."

Since that day, Panesar has claimed six five-wicket hauls in Test cricket and rocketed up the International Cricket Council rankings to sixth in the world. Panesar believes he is still some way off from being the finished article - but he is relishing the chance to test himself once more against India's formidable batting line-up.

"I don't feel like I am a top 10 bowler, I still feel like a baby compared to other spinners out there. I have got a lot to learn," he said.

"India have such an experienced batting line-up who have dominated world-class spinners. I will probably just gain a lot by playing against them and learning about the way they play spin.

"It is exciting to play against world class players. I want to make the most of the opportunities."