Sri lanka's fast bowlers exploited Pakistan's weakness against seam bowling by dismissing the home side for 165 to take control of the second test on the first day on Wednesday.
Sri lanka was 57-1 in reply, trailing by only 108 runs when umpires called off the day's play due to bad light eight overs before the scheduled close. Dimuth Karunaratne hit seven fours in a quickfire 32 before he fell to Junaid Khan but Kaushal Silva and Kumar Sangakkara guided Sri lanka to stumps, with both on 12.
Nuwan Pradeep, with only three wickets in his last four tests, led the attack and took 3-62 with excellent backup from Shaminda Eranga, 2-25, and Suranga lakmal, 2-45, after captain Angelo Mathews won the toss.
Pakistan opener Khurram Manzoor stood out with a gritty 73 in 3 1/2 hours before he succumbed in a sensational collapse, as Pakistan lost eight wickets for 58 runs.
"It wasn't easy out there, toss was vital because the pitch is not easy, it is helping seam bowlers," said Manzoor, who was under pressure to retain his place after scoring a combined 33 runs in his previous five test innings. "But whoever plays positively, he will score runs on this pitch."
Paksitan's collapse justified Sri lanka's choice to go with three fast bowlers and dropping offspinner Sachithra Senanayake after the pitch was left under cover due to rain on Tuesday and retained enough moisture in it for the fast bowlers.
Pradeep, out of Test cricket for a year, credited his time with his club and Sri lanka A for improving his technique to trouble Pakistan by finding movement off the seam.
The signs were ominous for the batsmen quickly when opener Ahmed Shehzad should have been dismissed in the fifth over for nought but was dropped by Mathews in the slips off lakmal.
But it didn't matter much as Pradeep in his third over brought one sharply into Shehzad and had him plumb leg before wicket for 3.
Brief Scores
Pakistan: 165 (Khurram Manzoor 73; Rangana Herath 3/26, Nuwan Pradeep 3/62) lead Sri lanka: 57/1 (Dimuth Karunaratne 32; Junaid Khan 1/26) by 108 runs at stumps on Day One.