Ahmedabad, Nov. 14: India will make a quick switch to Test cricket to defend their unbeaten home record against Sri Lanka in a three-match series starting here on Monday. Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men have endured a gruelling six-month schedule of limited-overs cricket which ended this week with a one-day series loss against world champions Australia.

The Indians have played just three Tests this year - in New Zealand in March-April - and Dhoni agreed the sudden adjustment to the traditional five-day format will not be easy. "This is the way modern cricket is played," said Dhoni. "We have to be mentally prepared to make the change and I am confident we will be up for the challenge."

Sri Lanka are brimming with confidence after two back-to-back series wins at home against Pakistan and New Zealand which lifted Kumar Sangakkara's men to the number two spot in the Test rankings behind South Africa. India, however, remains the final frontier for the Sri Lankans, who have never won a Test on Indian soil in six previous series, losing eight matches while the remaining six were drawn.

The visitors suffered heavy defeats in their last series in India in 2005, losing the second Test by 188 runs and the third by 259 runs after the first match was rained off. Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera and star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan are the only survivors from that tour, but the skipper said his young side was capable of delivering.

Murali eyes elusive series win Meanwhile, Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan on Saturday said he would like to complete his possibly last assignment abroad by beating India in their den, which his team has never done before.

The three-Test series between India and Sri Lanka will start on Monday here. "I have played enough cricket over the years. This could be my last tour overseas. Sri Lanka have not won a Test series in India, so it would be great if my team won the series this time," Muralitharan, the highest wicket taker in the world said.

Muralitharan said the Sri Lankan team is gradually developing into a solid unit with new youngsters. "There are good seamers and spinners like Ajantha Mendis who have improved in bowling since his debut," Muralitharan who has 783 Test wickets said.

Muralitharan also gave a thumbs up to the umpire referral systems saying it is good use of technology and harms neither bowling nor the batting side.

Talking about the advent of the T20 format of the game, Muralitharan said the Indian Premier League has proved beneficial for the youngsters but they must not focus just on the slam bang version. "One cannot play only T20. A player has to play the one-dayers, Tests and domestic cricket. Otherwise he will be finished, and his cricket will go down," Muralitharan said.

He said that Twenty20 version of the game may have proved stepping stone for many youngsters to show their talent, but its scope is limited.

"If he (player) says that it only for the game that he plays and not for the financial benefits he gains from it then he is lying. Every player plays for the love of game, the nation, and also for the financial benefits that come along with it," he said.

- Agencies