India in SL

Harbhajan Singh is more worried by the threat posed by Muttiah Muralitharan than Ajantha Mendis in the three-Test series.

Mendis, who bowls a variety of deliveries including the off-break and the googly, ran through the Indian batting order in the Asia Cup final, picking up six wickets for 13 run.

But Harbhajan, who is back in the team after serving a five-match ban for slapping team-mate Sreesanth during an Indian Premier League match, feels Murali is still the man to fear.

"Muralitharan will pose a bigger challenge," Harbhajan told ESPN. "He will do well in the series and not Mendis.

"You cannot compare Murali and Mendis. Murali has been doing it for years, while Mendis has just started."

The off-spinner admitted, however, that the variation in Mendis' bowling was impressive.

"It was a treat to watch Mendis bowl during the Asia Cup final," he added. "The deliveries with which he got Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma and even RP Singh were outstanding.

"I have seen people doing this with a tennis ball but it is incredible that he managed it with a cricket ball. There is so much to learn from Mendis."

Harbhajan missed most of the IPL, the tri-nation series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup in Pakistan due to his recent ban, but claimed he was looking forward to the series in Sri Lanka.

"I am ready for it. In fact sitting on the sidelines has made me hungrier," he said.

"I am willing to play any role the team wants me to. I committed a mistake and I admitted it.

"That period was really tough for me and I didn't know where I was heading. I think God helped me come out of that. He's been very kind.

"I think we all need to move on from there and look ahead. From now on, people should remember me for all the right reasons and not controversies."