Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Nov 6: Younis Khan hit a confident 122 Saturday but Sri Lanka's bowlers hit back to keep Pakistan under pressure after day three of the third and final test at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
The hosts closed on 282-6, still trailing by 131 runs.
Younis' 18th test century helped Pakistan recover from 35-2 at the start of the day. The former captain lashed 12 fours and two sixes off 211 balls in 291 minutes.
The right-hander shared successive partnerships of 98 and 100 partnerships with Azhar Ali (53) and captain Misbah-ul-Haq (50 not out) before Sri Lanka hit back in the final session.
Left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedara (3-62) spearheaded the visitors' attack while left-arm spinner Rangana Herath grabbed 2-73.
Younis and Azhar dulled Sri Lanka's attack in the morning session as they repaired the damage of the previous evening when both openers perished cheaply.
The pair played out three consecutive maidens to start the day and only got the first run of their partnership after 51 deliveries.
But they soon came out of their shells to play some delightful strokes with Younis particularly strong on the sweep and driving down the ground.
One of the few anxious moments for Younis came on 30 when there was a rare miss attempting a sweep at Rangana Herath but the close lbw appeal was turned down.
The pair got through to lunch unscathed at 126-2 but was soon separated after resumption.
Azhar followed Younis to his half century after the break but was bowled by Kosala Kulasekara soon afterward to give the seamer his maiden test wicket. Azhar departed after six fours off 164 balls.
Younis and Misbah shared a century stand either side of tea to further frustrate Sri Lanka as it presses for a series-leveling victory.
Younis, who needed 31 deliveries to get off the mark, arrived at three figures just before tea with a drive into the covers for a single.
Sri Lanka delayed taking the second new ball but struck immediately when it eventually arrived, with Welegedara claiming Younis, who was late on a defensive stroke and was bowled by an inswinger at 233-4.
Sri Lanka, without pacer Dhammika Prasad because of a thigh strain which has ruled him out of the rest of the test, still managed to grab the initiative in the final hour.
Welegedara removed Asad Shafiq (16), who edged to wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva as he prodded tentatively forward to a slower ball.
Then, just before close, Herath trapped Adnan Akmal lbw for 7.
Misbah, subdued for most of his knock, reached his fifty in the penultimate over, off 158 balls. The 37-year-old hit four fours. Abdur Rehman was unbeaten on 3.
