first nine matches. He is a match-winner, but the injury to Wahab (Riaz) was a big blow.”
Pakistan pace spearhead Wahab suffered a hairline fracture of his left hand while batting on the first day and has been ruled out of the series.
“Hopefully we will recover from this loss and try and win the final Test,” said Misbah.
Kithuruwan Vithanage, promoted to open the batting in place of Kaushal Silva, smashed four boundaries and two sixes in an aggressive 34 off 23 balls.
The left-hander contributed a major share of the 49-run opening stand with Karunaratne, when Pakistan hit back with two wickets off successive balls.
Vithanage holed out in the deep off the last ball of left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar’s second over after striking two sixes earlier in the over.
Veteran Kumar Sangakkara, playing his last Test match against Pakistan, fell to the first delivery he faced, caught at short-leg by Azhar Ali off Yasir.
Sangakkara, 37, Test cricket’s leading current run-getter, said on Saturday he will appear in only the first two Tests against Pakistan and play two more against India in August before retiring from the international game.
Karunaratne had hit four boundaries when he was leg-before to Yasir with 32 runs still needed for victory, but vice-captain Thirimanne partnered his skipper to a facile win.
Hard-working Sri Lankan seamer Dhammika Prasad was named man of the match for his seven wickets in the Test.
Score Board
Pakistan won toss
Pakistan 1st innings 138 all-out (Hafeez 42; Kaushal 5-42)
Sri Lanka 1st innings 315 all-out (J Silva 80; Yasir 6-96)
Pakistan 2nd innings 329 all-out (Azhar 117; Prasad 4-92)
Sri Lanka 2nd innings
F D M Karunaratne lbw b Yasir 50
K D K Vithanage c Hafeez b Zulfiqar 34
K C Sangakkara c Azhar b Yasir 0
*A D Mathews not out 43
H D R L Thirimanne not out 20
Extras (lb 6) 6
Total (3 wickets; 26.3 overs) 153
Did not bat: J K Silva, †L D Chandimal, K T G D Prasad, P H T Kaushal, P V D Chameera, H M R K B Herath
Fall: 1-49, 2-49, 3-121
Bowling: Junaid 4-0-30-0; Hafeez 4-0-20-0; Zulfiqar 8-0-42-1; Yasir 10.3-0-55-2
Result: Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
Series: 3-match series levelled by 1-1
Test debut: P V D Chameera (Sri Lanka)
Man of the Match: K T G D Prasad (Sri Lanka)
Umpires: R K Illingworth (England) and S Ravi (India). TV umpire: P R Reiffel (Australia). Match referee: B C Broad (England)