Captain Dasun Shanaka was talking about the changing atmosphere in the team’s dressing room before the start of the series. It has to be, that many cricketers have played since the recently concluded IPL, and a new coaching staff has been added to the team. All in all, in that press conference, the Lankan captain heard the tone of a day’s change.

In the first T20I, when Sri Lanka came out to bat after losing the toss yesterday, it seemed that Shanaka was right. Despite losing Danushka Gunathilaka in the powerplay, the Lankans scored 60 runs in the powerplay. He reached three figures in 12 overs.

Then it began to break down. Pathum Nisanka was bowled by Mitchell Starc’s slower yorker on the last ball of the over. Sri Lanka lost three batsmen Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the next over bowled by Josh Hazlewood for four, five, and six.

The hope was that he would do well with Charith Asalanka at number three. The Lankans’ hope was extinguished in the 16th over. Asalanka, who scored 38 off 34 balls, was run out. In the next over, Chamika Karunaratne also suffered the same fate, adding to the misery of the Lankans.

The Lankans were bowled out in the 19th over. The target in front of Australia stood at 129 runs.

In defending the match, Sri Lanka had no choice but to spin. Mahesh Thikshana came to inaugurate the bowling, Wanindu Hasranga in the fifth over. One of the proofs that it did not help the team much is in the last bowling analysis. Wanindu Hasranga has given 27 runs in two overs, he has the highest run cost per over in the match.

David Warner reached his fifty off 32 balls, while his partner Aaron Finch reached his fifty off 37 balls. Sri Lanka could not stop these two batsmen in the end. As a result, Australia won the match by a huge margin of 10 wickets.

Sri Lanka and Australia will play three T20s and five ODIs. The SLC confirmed the appointment of Malinga in a statement on Thursday. As an expert coach, he will work with the bowlers on strategic aspects. The Sri Lankan board believes his experience, especially his ability to bowl death in T20, will help the team. “Sri Lankan cricket believes that Malinga’s experience and death bowling skills, especially in the T20 cricket – will greatly benefit the team in the upcoming series,” the SLC statement said.

This is not the first time. Malinga was on Sri Lanka’s coaching panel for the tour of Australia last January. Despite losing the five-match T20 series 4-1 at that time, the Sri Lankans’ bowling performance was satisfactory.

The first match of the Colombo T20 series will be played between Sri Lanka and Australia on June 7. The remaining two matches of the series will be played on June 8 and 11.

The ODI series will start on June 14. The remaining matches of the series are on June 16, 19, 21, and 24. The matches will be played in Colombo and Pallekele.

Malinga has also worked as a bowling mentor for the IPL team Rajasthan Royals, apart from working for the national team. He is also in that role. He was also a bowling consultant for the Mumbai Indians once in his playing career.