Sri Lanka's 'mystery' spinner Ajantha Mendis has disclosed that he is working on a new delivery to add more variety to his armoury.

"I am new to this game (Tests). I have five different deliveries and am working on the sixth," Mendis said to the reporters

Mendis said that he has simple plans of bowling at the right spots and was looking forward to bowling to the top Indian batting line-up alongside his childhood idol Muralitharan in the three Test series at home starting on July 23.

"Murali is my idol and I want to bowl alongside him. It will be a great opportunity for me. I want to bowl at the right places (against the top Indian line-up)," said the 23-year-old bowler.

Mendis, who had trampled the Indian team in the Asia Cup final with a tournament winning six-wicket spell for 13 runs, said he had so far played 19 first class games and taken over one hundred wickets.

"It's an honour to bowl alongside Murali and to the top Indian batsmen like Rahul (Dravid), Sachin (Tendulkar), (Sourav) Ganguly and (VVS) Laxman," he said.

Speaking about the series, former chief and now the Sri Lanka Cricket chief Arjuna Ranatunga said he had always found a Test series against India to be intensely fought.

"It's a very important series for both teams. I have always felt that playing against India has been one of the toughest tasks whether it is in Lanka or in India," he said.

"We have a new bowling sensation (Mendis). I don't like to call him a freak but he's a freak. We are lucky to come across such bowlers once in ten years, the previous one being Murali," the 1996 World Cup winning skipper added.

Ranatunga though was well aware of the challenges ahead for the latest Lankan sensation.

"Ajantha has done well in ODIs and I am sure he would do well in Tests too though I can't say he would play as I am not a selector and can't pick him. It would be a big challenge for him to bowl to top Indian batsmen like Rahul, Sachin, Ganguly and Laxman," he said.

"The series may see Sachin go past (Brian) Lara's record (the master batsman needs 171 more to become the highest run-getter in Test cricket) or we may see him struggling against Mendis," he added.

Ranatunga also expressed his favour towards the experimental umpire's referral system to be used in the series.

"As far as I am concerned if technology is available it should be used to the full. Or otherwise don't use it at all. I am happy with the ICC's move to experiment with this system," he said.