By Shehan Daniel at the Galle International Stadium

A half-century partnership between Dhananjaya de Silva and Dimuth Karunaratne nullified the advances Pakistan had made in taking five Sri Lankan wickets, putting the home team back in control of the second Test in Galle. 

Sri Lanka carried forward a lead of 147 into their second innings and added a further 176 runs to consolidate their position in this Test, before bad light wiped out the last 19 overs of day three. 

With the wicket still to show significant deterioration and given the opposition’s previous record run chases in Sri Lanka, having mowed down targets of 377, in Pallekele in 2015, and 342, in Galle last week, the hosts will likely feel most comfortable taking their lead of 323 beyond 400. 

In an enthralling final session of play, Pakistan picked up the wicket of in-form batsman Dinesh Chandimal, ending his run of consecutive 50s at four, as Sri Lanka found themselves awkwardly placed at 117 for 5. 

The situation did not overwhelm de Silva, who looked as sleek as ever, ending the day on 32 off 50 balls. 

De Silva first pulled Naseem Shah for a boundary in the fourth delivery he faced to get off the mark, before taking two fours off Yasir Shar three overs later – dabbing the ball past fine leg and then pulling it over the fielder at midwicket. 

Three more boundaries off his next 12 deliveries, including one at the start and the end of Yasir’s next over, moved de Silva onto 27 off 32, and helped the hosts shift the momentum by scoring 42 runs off the last 10 overs that were bowled on Tuesday. 

Karunaratne, relegated down the batting order to number six having not been on the field during Pakistan’s first innings, hit two boundaries in a more watchful contribution of 27 in 51 balls – his and de Silva’s unbroken partnership worth 59. 

Niroshan Dickwella, sent up the order to open in place of Karunaratne, hit two boundaries off Naseem, before giving the fast bowler the first wicket, chasing a delivery well outside off-stump for Mohammad Rizwan to complete an easy catch. 

Oshada Fernando clipped Hasan Ali behind square for his first boundary, and then scored back to back fours off Naseem, but was trapped leg before wicket playing for turn on the first ball of spin for the innings bowled by Yasir two overs later.

Kusal Mendis was dismissed, after 12 more runs were added to the total, attempting his favoured sweep shot, only to miss and be hit on the pads right in front of the stumps. 

Mathews played the aggressor in his partnership with Chandimal, punching and pulling two boundaries in a Yasir over and then hammering Mohammad Nawaz for six in the next, adding a fourth hit to the fence off Nauman Ali to move on onto 31 off 51. 

A century on his hundredth Test looked a real possibility for Mathews, but for his dismissal in a contentious manner when he was initially given not out by on-field umpire Kumar Dharmasena. 

Pakistan reviewed and replays showed a spike on ‘ultraedge’ though it was so small that it could not definitively concluded that sound was of the ball hitting the bat and not any other source – the review struck down and Mathews out for 35. 

Chandimal had associated in Sri Lanka’s best partnership with Angelo Mathews, together adding 41 runs, after Sri Lanka had slumped to 59 for 3. 

Sri Lanka needed 19 overs in the morning to bowl out Pakistan for 231, on the back of Ramesh Mendis’ third Test five-wicket haul – his first in the last ten innings he has bowled. 

While Yasir and Hasan Ali showing an appetite to dig in and defend, Sri Lanka could not find a wicket, though that changed when the second new ball was taken by Sri Lanka as soon as it was available at the end of over number 80.  

Prabath Jayasuriya breached Hasan’s defense for his third wicket four overs later, before Mendis, who showed much better control than in the first Test, took the last two wickets to complete his five-wicket haul.  

It was a much improved performance from Ramesh, who did not convince over Sri Lanka’s last three home Tests, but showed great control and consistency, richly deserving his reward.