Sri Lankan opener Dimuth Karunaratne hit a career best 196 which left Pakistan fighting to avoid defeat in the second day-night test in Dubai on Saturday.
Karunaratne missed a double hundred by four runs but lifted Sri Lanka to an imposing 482 in their first innings before Pakistan finished the second day at 51-0, still trailing by 431 runs.
Openers Sami Aslam (30 not out) and Shan Masood (15 not out) negotiated the 18 overs under light without any major trouble but Pakistan still need 231 to avoid the follow on.
That leaves Pakistan in a spot of bother to square the series after losing the first test by 21 runs in Abu Dhabi and, more importantly, save their seven-year unbeaten series record in the United Arab Emirates.
It was another brilliant display by the Sri Lankan batsmen led by left-hander Karunaratne.
Karunaratne deserved a double hundred during a marathon nine hour stay at the crease but he was unluckily dismissed, playing onto legspinner Yasir Shah just before dinner.
Karunaratne hit 19 boundaries and a six, improving on his previous best test score of 186 made against the West Indies at Galle two years ago.
When on 143 he brought up his 3 000th run in his 44th test, the 12th Sri Lankan to reach that milestone.
Shah took 6-184 in a marathon 55.5 overs of hard work and toil on a flat Dubai stadium pitch. His haul makes him the only spinner ever to take five or more wickets in five consecutive tests.
England's Sydney Barnes holds the record for most consecutive five wicket hauls with seven in as many tests. Australia's Charlie Turner and Englishman Alec Bedser had six consecutive five-fours – but all three were fast bowlers.
Shah said he tried his best to take wickets.
"It's always my priority to take wickets but the pitch was not assisting on the first day," said Shah.
"We have to fight to our best abilities to win this test and level the series. Karunaratne played a brilliant knock."
Karunaratne added 146 with skipper Dinesh Chandimal (62) for the fourth wicket before another 88 were put on for the fifth between him and Niroshan Dickwella, who made a rapid 52.
As if that was not enough, Karunaratne put on 59 for the sixth wicket with Dilruwan Perera, who scored a polished 58.
Resuming at 254-3, Sri Lanka lost Chandimal to a leg before decision off Shah.
Chandimal knocked six boundaries in another enterprising knock which followed his unbeaten 155 in the first test.
Dickwella's assured knock had five boundaries before he edged pacer Mohammad Abbas to wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed while Perera smashed seven boundaries before becoming Shah's fifth wicket – his 13th five wicket haul in 28 tests.
Abbas then had Suranga Lakmal for eight to finish with 2-100 while Shah ended the innings by dismissing Nuwan Pradeep for nought.
Pakistan's miseries were compounded in the morning when pace spearhead Mohammad Amir walked off the field after a recurring shin injury sustained late on Friday. He managed to bowl just three overs in the day.
Sri Lanka 1st innings (Overnight: 254-3)
Dimuth Karunaratne b Riaz 196
Kaushal Silva c S. Ahmed b Shah 27
Sadheera Samarawickreme c&b Amir 38
Kusal Mendis c Shafiq b Shah 1
Dinesh Chandimal lbw b Shah 62
Niroshan Dickwella c S. Ahmed b Abbas 52
Dilruwan Perera b Shah 58
Rangana Herath not out 27
Suranga Lakmal lbw b Abbas 8
Lahiru Gamage st S. Ahmed b Shah 1
Nuwan Pradeep c Shafiq b Shah 0
Extras (b-1 lb-3 nb-5 w-3) 12
Total (all out, 159.2 overs) 482
Fall of wickets: 1-63 K. Silva,2-131 S. Samarawickreme,3-136 K. Mendis,4-282 D. Chandimal,5-370 N. Dickwella,6-429 D. Karunaratne,7-454 D. Perera,8-469 S. Lakmal,9-474 L. Gamage,10-482 N. Pradeep
Bowling
Mohammad Amir 19.3 - 5 - 74 - 1
Mohammad Abbas 33 - 9 - 100 - 2(nb-1)
Wahab Riaz 26 - 6 - 62 - 1(nb-4)
Yasir Shah 55.5 - 9 - 184 - 6
Asad Shafiq 11 - 1 - 24 - 0(w-3)
Haris Sohail 14 - 3 - 34 - 0
Pakistan 1st innings
Shan Masood not out 15
Sami Aslam not out 30
Extras (b-4 lb-2) 6
Total (for no loss, 18 overs) 51
Fall of wickets:
To bat: A. Ali, A. Shafiq, B. Azam, H. Sohail, S. Ahmed, M. Amir, Y. Shah, W. Riaz, M. Abbas
Bowling
Suranga Lakmal 5 - 2 - 11 - 0
Nuwan Pradeep 2 - 0 - 7 - 0
Lahiru Gamage 5 - 1 - 11 - 0
Dilruwan Perera 4 - 1 - 15 - 0
Rangana Herath
Dimuth's century lift Sri Lanka to 254/3 on day one
Opener Dimuth Karunaratne compiled a brilliant century to put Sri Lanka in a commanding position at 254-3 on the opening day of the second day-night test in Dubai on Friday.
The left-hander was unbeaten on 133, adding 118 for an unbroken fourth-wicket stand with skipper Dinesh Chandimal (49 not out) after Sri Lanka won the toss and batted on a flat Dubai Stadium pitch.
Karunaratne batted with authority and style to reach his seventh test hundred off 197 balls, hitting Mohammad Amir for two consecutive boundaries to complete three figures.
He batted for 381 minutes, hitting 15 boundaries and a six.
Karunaratne fell seven runs short of a hundred in the first test in Abu Dhabi where Sri Lanka won by 21 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Chandimal followed his 155 not out in the opening test with another confident innings, collecting five boundaries as the Sri Lankan pair blunted Pakistan's bowling attack.
Pakistan took the second new ball after 82 overs but failed to claim any further wickets, with Amir walking off in the middle of his 17th over with an apparent injury.
Pakistan, who have never lost a test series in the United Arab Emirates, also wasted both their reviews off the second new ball to cap a woeful day for them.
Legspinner Yasir Shah was the pick of bowlers with 2-90 while Amir returned figures of 1-59.
Karunaratne and opening partner Kaushal Silva (27) provided a solid platform for Sri Lanka with a 63-run stand before Pakistan hit back with three wickets in quick succession.
Shah delivered the much-needed breakthrough for his team when he had Silva caught behind off a short delivery. Debutant Sadeera Samarawickrama impressed during his quick-fire 38, smacking five boundaries and a six before he miscued a pull and was caught and bowled by Amir.
Kusal Mendis played a rash drive off Shah and was caught in the slips for one.
Karunaratne crunched three boundaries in an Amir over and then hit Shah for another to reach his sixth test fifty.
Sri Lanka made two changes from the first test, leaving out Lahiru Thirimanne and Lakshan Sandakan for Samarawickrama and paceman Lahiru Gamage while Pakistan brought in fast bowler Wahab Riaz in place of the unfit Hasan Ali.
This is the sixth day-night test with a pink ball since Australia and New Zealand played the first such contest at Adelaide in December 2015.
PAKISTAN: Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), Mohammad Amir, Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Abbas
SRI LANKA: Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Gamage, Nuwan Pradeep
Sri Lanka 1st innings
Dimuth Karunaratne not out 133
Kaushal Silva c S. Ahmed b Shah 27
Sadheera Samarawickreme c&b Amir 38
Kusal Mendis c Shafiq b Shah 1
Dinesh Chandimal not out 49
Extras (lb-1 nb-4 w-1) 6
Total (for 3 wickets, 90 overs) 254
Fall of wickets: 1-63 K. Silva,2-131 S. Samarawickreme,3-136 K. Mendis
To bat: N. Dickwella, D. Perera, R. Herath, S. Lakmal, L. Gamage, N. Pradeep
Bowling: Mohammad Amir 16.3 - 5 - 59 – 1, Mohammad Abbas 18 - 5 - 48 - 0(nb-1), Wahab Riaz 13 - 5 - 25 - 0(nb-3), Yasir Shah 29.3 - 5 - 90 – 2,Asad Shafiq 8 - 1 - 16 - 0(w-1), Haris Sohail 5 - 1 - 15 - 0
