well in our first innings. And then it became tough to control the game from there.”
The tourists added six runs to their overnight score of 209-9 before they were all out for 215 in the day’s second over in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 278.
When Sri Lanka batted a second time, left-arm seamer Rahat Ali grabbed two quick wickets and new ball partner Ehsan Adil took one to leave the hosts tottering in the morning session.
Rahat bowled first innings century-maker Dimuth Karunaratne for 10 and yorked Lahiru Thirimanne for no score in an inspired eight-over opening spell.
In between, Ehsan Adil had Kaushal Silva caught in the slips by a diving Misbah-ul Haq for three.
Tharanga and Mathews repaired the early damage on either side of lunch before Yasir broke the partnership.
Having had a leg-before review turned down by the TV umpire off the previous ball, the leg-spinner forced Tharanga to edge the next delivery to Azhar Ali at short-leg.
Play was held up twice by passing showers in the morning session and once again before tea, keeping the hard-working ground staff on their toes as they rushed in the covers to guard both the wicket and the outfield.
Pakistan’s six runs in the morning all came off the bat of Sarfraz Ahmed, who remained unbeaten on 78.
Last man Imran Khan, who had not faced a ball in four previous Tests, survived for seven deliveries before he was bowled by off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal for zero.
Kaushal, Dhammika Prasad and Nuwan Pradeep finished with three wickets each.
Pakistan won the first Test in Galle by 10 wickets and Sri Lanka took the second in Colombo by seven wickets.
Score Board
Pakistan won toss
Sri Lanka 1st innings 278 all-out (F Karunaratne 130; Yasir 5-78)
Pakistan 1st innings
Shan Masood lbw b Prasad 13
Ahmed Shehzad c Chandimal b Pradeep 21
Azhar Ali c Karunaratne b Pradeep 52
Younis Khan run out 3
Asad Shafiq lbw b Prasad 15
†Sarfraz Ahmed not out 78
*Misbah-ul-Haq lbw b Pradeep 6
Ehsan Adil lbw b Kaushal 0
Yasir Shah c Chandimal b Prasad 18
Rahat Ali lbw b Kaushal 2
Imran Khan b Kaushal 0
Extras (lb 4, w 1, nb 2) 7
Total (all out; 66 overs) 215
Fall: 1-32, 2-40, 3-45, 4-91, 5-135, 6-151, 7-152, 8-197, 9-202, 10-215
Bowling: Prasad 19-1-78-3 (1w); Lakmal 14-1-64-0 (2nb); Pradeep 15-5-29-3; Mathews 4-1-3-0; Kaushal 14-1-37-3
Sri Lanka 2nd innings
F D M Karunaratne b Rahat 10
J K Silva c Misbah b Ehsan 3
W U Tharanga c Azhar b Yasir 48
H D R L Thirimanne b Rahat 0
*A D Mathews not out 77
J Mubarak c Azhar b Yasir 35
†L D Chandimal not out 39
Extras (b 4, lb 9, w 3) 16
Total (5 wickets; 69.4 overs) 228
To bat: K T G D Prasad, P H T Kaushal, R A S Lakmal, N Pradeep
Fall: 1-12, 2-22, 3-35, 4-80, 5-161
Bowling: Rahat 15-3-58-2 (1w); Ehsan 14-4-46-1 (1w); Imran 10.4-2-27-0 (1w); Yasir 25-4-70-2; Azhar 5-1-14-0
Umpires: I J Gould (England) and P R Reiffel (Australia). TV umpire: S Ravi (India). Match referee: B C Broad (England)