Kumar Sangakkara has warned India they should fear spin duo Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan.

The 30-year-old is backing newcomer Mendis and old-timer Muralitharan to shine when the first Test gets under way in Colombo on Wednesday.

"The prospect of him (Mendis) joining forces with Murali in this series is particularly mouth-watering," Sangakkara wrote in his column in the Daily Telegraph.

"Their accuracy, skill and shrewd cricket brains will make life extremely difficult for India."

Mendis is expected to make his Test debut on Wednesday after taking an impressive six wickets for 13 runs in Sri Lanka's Asia Cup final victory over India in Karachi earlier this month.

The variety of his deliveries really caught the eye in that tournament, but Sangakkara feels there is more than just that to his game.

He added: "The secret of his dramatic success is not merely his variety, but his pin-point accuracy. As far as I can see, all great bowlers have one simple thing in common: mastery of control.

"Mendis, like Murali and Shane Warne, appears to have that same ability to pitch the ball on a coin."

Sangakkara went on: "People keep asking me whether he can be read. Well, as a wicketkeeper, I know that it is a real challenge. I had to practise for hours to get a better idea as to which way the ball will turn.

"I can now read him most of the time, but it is not easy as the changes are so subtle. Batsmen will have to watch his fingers intensely but, by doing so, they run the risk of losing focus on the ball.

"It is, of course, premature to call him a great bowler. It takes consistently exceptional performances over a prolonged period to earn that honour.

"But he certainly has great potential and has proven himself thus far. If he can keep evolving like Murali, keeping himself ahead of the game, then we could have a new star."

India will be looking for revenge for their crushing 100-run defeat in the Asia Cup final.

Spinner Harbhajan Singh is back in the team after serving a five-match ban for slapping team-mate Sreesanth during an Indian Premier League match, but captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be missing after opting out of the series.

The wicketkeeper-batsman asked to be rested for the Test series due to fatigue after playing virtually non-stop cricket with the Asia Cup coming hot on the heels of a full IPL campaign.

Harbhajan returned to action with two wickets in India's only warm-up game for the Test series against a Sri Lanka Board XI on Sunday in Colombo.

Opener Gautam Gambhir shone with the bat in the warm-up, scoring an unbeaten 60 in the rain-affected draw.