Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Opener Kaushal Silva and Mahela Jayawardene carried Sri Lanka to 132-3 at lunch on Thursday's second day of the second test against Pakistan.
Silva was unbeaten on a patient 40 while Jayawardene was not out on 19 as Sri Lanka moved within 33 runs of Pakistan's first innings of 165.
The pair added 44 runs after Pakistan's seamers had struck twice inside the first hour. Rahat Ali got his first success of the series when he had Kumar Sangakkara (26) leg before wicket and Dinesh Chandimal (12) threw away his wicket by needlessly pulling a delivery from Junaid Khan (2-36).
Ali bowled 55 wicketless overs in the drawn first test last week and had to wait for another 14 overs before Sangakkara played him across the line and was out plumb lbw in the sixth over of the day.
Pakistan lost one of their TV referrals in the next over when Ali thought he had Silva caught behind down the legside on 16, but television umpire Richard Kettleborough upheld the onfield umpire's not out decision.
Chandimal, who featured in a match-saving century stand with captain Angelo Mathews at Abu Dhabi in the first test, started confidently but lost concentration and holed out to Ali at deep fine leg off Khan's short pitched delivery.
Jayawardene and Silva then batted out the last hour and even negotiated the four overs of offspinner Saeed Ajmal.