SL star injured ahead of Australia tour

Batting star Angelo Mathews looks set to miss at least the start of Sri Lanka’s Test tour of Australia due to a hamstring injury.

In a major blow for the tourists, Mathews has been ruled out for four weeks, which means he’s almost certain to miss the first of two Tests against Australia, starting at the Gabba on January 24.

The second Test is at Manuka Oval in Canberra on February 1-5.

The former skipper has a long history of calf and hamstring injuries and it’s yet to be determined exactly when he’ll be fit to return to playing.

The 31-year-old retired hurt during the second Test against New Zealand in Christchurch this week after pulling up lame when running between wickets.

"Angelo had a scan last night, and it's a grade two hamstring strain," captain Dinesh Chandimal said after the match. "The physio said he's out for four weeks."

The right-hander was Sri Lanka’s best batsman in their two-Test series against the Black Caps, scoring 258 runs and being dismissed only once.

He scored an unbeaten 120 in the first Test in Wellington, batting through the entire fourth day with Kusal Mendis to help his side escape with a draw.

The former skipper’s injury woes has meant he’s rarely bowled at Test level in recent years, but is one of their most important batsmen, with nine Test hundreds and an average of 44 from 80 Tests.

Sri Lanka have never won a Test match from 13 attempts in Australia, including a 0-3 whitewash on their most recent tour Down Under in 2012-13.

However, they beat Australia 3-0 on home soil in 2016.