"He's a little bit different to most finger spinners. He does give the ball good air and he flights the ball. It's very Daniel Vettori, the other hand round," Hayden said.

The Queensland batsman said Panesar, the first Sikh to play for England, would be a challenge during the upcoming Ashes but the presence of himself, Justin Langer, Mike Hussey and Adam Gilchrist at the top would blunt his prowess.

"The way that we play spin is obviously super aggressive, so I think he will be challenged. That gives him an opportunity as well. So it's a two-way street," he was quoted as saying by the 'Couriel Mail'.

"We are going to definitely put him under pressure, but he is going to take wickets as well," said Hayden, who just returned from a broken finger.