Rahul Dravid cautioned India against taking Sri Lanka's bowling lightly despite the hosts naming a depleted pace attack.

Spinner Ajantha Mendis was named to a 14-man squad for the first Test on Monday, but with injuries to Dilhara Fernando, Lasith Malinga and Farveez Maharoof, Sri Lankan's bowling appears innocuous on paper.

Former India captain Dravid would not write off the Sri Lankans, but he downplayed the threat posed by Mendis.

"We are not worried about Mendis," said Dravid.

"It's not about individuals in a game like this.

"If you look at the bigger picture, it's about the team.

"In my opinion, Sri Lanka have the right balance in their line-up and they manage their players well. They are also a very tough team at home.

"A spinner like Muttiah Muralitharan is a top-class performer while Chaminda Vaas is a clever customer."

Dravid said Sri Lanka's bowling demanded respect.

"We have faced many spinners in the past and have scored successfully against them," he added.

"Two bowlers (Muralitharan and Vaas) in the Sri Lankan team have more than 1000 Test wickets between them. You have to respect that."

Dravid stressed that the team had prepared well and were ready for the challenge.

"So far so good, and we satisfied after a decent practice game (that ended on Sunday)," he added.

"Now, we are all fresh for the challenge. We are back in this country after a long time for a Test series.

"In 2001, we played our last series here, so there is an enthusiasm in the team to got out and be counted."

On his own form, Dravid said he was pleased with the way he was batting.

"I have been hitting the ball well and felt good after spending some time in the middle (during the warm-up game).

"I have had some good memories in the past. I have always enjoyed batting here. The SSC ground is small and nice and has good value for runs.

"But conditions here are not very easy. It's not hot, but humidity levels are high and takes a toll on body fluids. We are doing everything that it takes to keep things going in the right direction."