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Sri Lanka suffer more setbacks ahead of Australia Test

Sydney - Sri Lanka's preparations for the final Test against Australia suffered further setbacks on Wednesday when coach Chandika Hathurusingha was stripped of his team selection responsibilities and their batting coach returned home for personal reasons.

Hathurusingha was officially removed from the on-tour selection panel, governing body Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said, although it is understood he still has a say on player decisions.

"The majority decision of the manager, captain and members of the selection committee shall prevail on any selection made," SLC said in a statement, without giving details about why the change was made.

It added that batting coach Jon Lewis was "on leave to attend a family matter", with Avishka Gunawardena flying to Australia to replace him.

The news came as injured bowlers Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera returned home after picking up injuries in the first Test in Brisbane.

Uncapped right arm fast bowler Chamika Karunaratne was picked to replace Kumara.

Sri Lanka are bidding to level the two-Test series in Canberra when it gets underway on Friday, after being thrashed by Australia by an innings and 40 runs in the first Test.

Sri Lanka recently lost their series against New Zealand 3-0 and face the prospect of being swept again.

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