Panesar has become a firm fans' favourite since his debut

Panesar trapped Tendulkar lbw in Nagpur in 2006 to claim his first Test wicket.

Tendulkar signed the match ball for the England spinner and joked: "That will never happen again."

"It's one of my most treasured moments, Sachin was my childhood hero and somehow it hit the pad before the bat!" said Panesar.

Interview: England spinner Monty Panesar

"That ball is precious and kept safely in my bedroom."

The Northants man has since claimed a further 64 Test victims, and after being named man-of-the-series in the 3-0 victory over West Indies has reached sixth in the world rankings.

Despite his lofty position, Panesar is wary of facing an experienced Indian batting line-up in the three-match Test series which starts at Lord's on 19 July.

It is one of my most treasured moments. That ball is precious and kept safely in my bedroom. Monty Panesar

"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."

While team-mate Kevin Pietersen has called for more breaks for international cricketers, Panesar appreciated the chance to play for his county against Gloucestershire, as he bowled Northants to victory with 6-65 in the second innings.

"The four-day game for Northants gave me a good opportunity to get my head back into Test cricket from the one-day internationals and bowling 50 overs helps make that transition," he said.

"From a spinner's point of view, we like to bowl a lot of overs, but you can understand from a batsman and fast bowlers' point of view that they need rest.