(UTV|COLOMBO) – Sri Lanka will be without hamstrung star Angelo Mathews for their two-Test series against Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The tourists have left Matthews, who tweaked his hamstring during Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand, out of a sixteen-man squad for Tests in Brisbane and Canberra.
The absence of the former Captain is a big blow to Sri Lanka’s hopes of recording their first Test win in Australia.
Matthews was Sri Lanka’s highest run-scorer in their two-Test series against New Zealand, during which he was dismissed once while scoring 258 runs.
Left-hander Kusal Perera has been included in the squad at the expense of opener Danushka Gunathilaka, who scored 16 runs from the two Tests against New Zealand.
Sri Lanka have lost 11 Tests and drawn two Tests in Australia, a country they’ve been touring since 1988.
Sri Lanka currently hold the Warne-Muralitharan trophy, having smashed Australia 3-0 during a home series in 2016.
The first Test, a pink-ball clash at the Gabba, starts on 24 January.
The second Test starts at Manuka Oval on 01 February, while the tourists will play a pink-ball tour game in Hobart that begins on 17 January.
SRI LANKA SQUAD
Dinesh Chandimal (Captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (Wicket-Keeper), Kusal Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha.
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