“Fearless” Rishabh Pant has a new admirer. It is Jos Buttler and the England wicketkeeper-batsman wishes to draw inspiration from his Indian counterpart to do well in the upcoming Ashes against Australia.

Pant took the cricket world by storm during India’s last tour of Australia. He played two fantastic knocks in Sydney and Brisbane to help an injury-ravaged India stun the Aussies with a come-from-behind Test series win. Pant’s approach with the bat, where he mixed defiance and defence successfully, impressed Buttler.

“One player I really enjoyed seeing play Tests in Australia was Rishabh Pant when they won there (Australia) last winter. I love the way he can change his game between the defensive side and aggressive sides, and be totally fearless,” Buttler wrote in his column for a British daily.

“For any wicket-keeper who likes to be more positive, Rishabh is a good guy to watch — his mindset and commitment to his game plans, whether he’s attacking or defending.”

The England players, who were participating in the just-concluded T20 World Cup in the UAE, will serve a mandatory quarantine of two weeks in Australia before they take part in the five-match Test series, starting from December 8 in Brisbane.

Known for his free-flowing batting, Buttler said that it will be important to adapt to the conditions during practice sessions as it is the first time he will be playing red-ball cricket in Australia.

“I’ve played one-day and T20 cricket in Australia but I’ve not played any red-ball cricket. So, it’ll be important, during the preparation phase in the nets and the warm-ups games, to try and understand conditions and work out what shots to play, how much the ball seams or swings and adapting to conditions.

“I don’t want to go to Australia with too many preconceived ideas.”

Buttler termed the upcoming contests against Australia as the biggest challenge in his career.

“... Australia is a place where lots of our guys have played in the Big Bash. The pace on the ball and the good wickets certainly suit a lot of players in our team. It will probably be the biggest challenge I’ve ever had in my career.

“Australia is the one tour that, as an English player, you want to experience, and it’s something to really relish and enjoy — even though it’ll be different without the travelling support. We’re expecting an intense atmosphere with grounds full of Australian fans,” Buttler said.