Injured Angelo Mathews will miss the upcoming two-match Test series against Australia as Sri Lanka announced a 16-member squad on Tuesday.
Former captain Mathews picked up a grade-two strain in his left hamstring, while completing a run during the second Test match in New Zealand. Despite losing the series, 1-0, he was by far Sri Lanka’s best batsman in New Zealand, hitting 258 runs in four innings and got out only once.
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Mathews is currently in Melbourne, Australia doing rehabilitation work with the expectation of being fit for the South Africa series which starts on February 13th.
Apart of Mathews, opening batsman Danushka Gunathilaka has also not been named in the squad. Left-handed Gunathilaka has been dropped after failing miserably with scores of 1,3,8 and 4 during the four innings in New Zealand.
Kusal Janith Perera, an explosive batsman, who can bat at any position from 1-7 has been recalled to the Test squad. He was not part of the red-ball teams in the two most recent series against England and New Zealand.
Read More : Angelo Mathews out of action for four weeks
There are no other changes to the squad, which played in New Zealand with the Test specialists in Dimuth Karunaratne, Dilruwan Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne, Suranga Lakmal and Roshen Silva already training in Australia. The rest of the squad will join the team after the completion of the New Zealand tour next week.
Sri Lanka will play their third Day & Night Test match in Brisbane, starting on 24th January, followed by the second Test match in Canberra, Australia’s newest ground which is set to make its debut on 1st February.
Sri Lanka squad – Dinesh Chandimal (Captain), Dimuth Karunaratne (Vice Captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya De Silva, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Janith Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha
Sri Lanka vs Australia – Schedule
Tour Match – 17th to 19th January (D/N) – Hobart
1st Test – 24th to 28th January (D/N) – Brisbane
2nd Test – 1st to 5th February – Canberra
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