Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria took 5-63 to help dismiss Sri Lanka for 233 on day two in Colombo.
Pakistan leg-spinner takes 5-62 to peg back hosts
Third Test Match
ColomboPakistan 299 (Khurram Manzoor 93, Mohammad Yousuf 90, T Thushara 5-83) & 16-1 v Sri Lanka 233 (D P M D Jayawardene 79, Danish Kaneria 5-62)
Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria showed his team-mates what they have been missing with a five-wicket burst to dismiss Sri Lanka in Colombo.
The Essex star, overlooked for the opening two Test matches of the series, claimed 5-62 on the second day of the third Test to inspire his side to an 82-run lead by the close.
Kaneria replicated the feat of Sri Lankan left-armer Thilan Thushara, who had earlier taken Test-best figures of 5-83 to wrap up the Pakistan innings for 299.
Sri Lanka were well poised on 153-4 in their first-innings response, however the spin of Kaneria and Saeed Ajmal (3-70) pegged back the hosts who were indebted to Mahela Jayawardene's 79.
Early trouble
Resuming the second day on 289-7, Thushara claimed two wickets in the morning session to restrict Pakistan one short of 300.
Nuwan Kulasekara (3-47) made the breakthrough with his third delivery when he trapped Kaneria on the back leg and prevented him from adding to his overnight score of one.
It was then left to Thushara to claim the wickets of Kamran Akmal (1) and Ajmal (8) to register his maiden Test five-wicket haul.
Sri Lanka's reply suffered an early setback when Umar Gul clean bowled opener Malinda Warnapura off the first ball of the innings.
The medium-pace of Pakistan captain Younus Khan accounted for Tharanga Paranavitana (5) shortly after, to leave the hosts in trouble on 23-2.
Flipper
Sri Lankan stalwarts Kumar Sangakkara (45) and Jayawardene added 40 for the third wicket, however when the home captain and Thilan Samaraweera (6) were dismissed by Ajmal in quick succession, Pakistan began to turn the screw.
Kaneria then got in on the act to end a promising 71-partnership between Angelo Mathews (31) and Jayawardene shortly before tea.
The dangerous leg-spinner went on to claim his 13th Test five-wicket haul with the wickets of Chaminda Vaas (lbw), Jayawardene, Rangana Herath (7) and last man Tillakaratne Dilshan (44).
Jayawardene struck 10 fours before his 199-ball stay was ended when he was bamboozled by a Kaneria flipper and the ball crashed into middle stump.
Dilshan farmed the strike whilst batting with the tail to reduce Pakistan's lead, and Sri Lanka left the field even more encouraged when Herath dismissed Manzoor (2) to restrict the tourists to 16-1 at stumps.
