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.