Pakistan skipper Babar Azam remained unbeaten on 95 to thwart the Sri Lankan spin attack led by Prabath Jayasuriya at tea on day two of the opening Test on Sunday.
Azam single-handedly steered the tourists to 194 for nine at tea in an unbeaten tenth-wicket stand of 46 with Naseem Shah, five not out from 42 balls, in Galle.
They still trailed Sri Lanka by 28 runs in their first innings.
Jayasuriya claimed his third successive haul of five wickets or more to rattle the opposition batting, which slumped to 85-7 before lunch and then 148-9 in the second session.
Azam stood firm as he got help from the lower-order batsmen including Yasir Shah (18), Hasan Ali (17) and Naseem, prompting Sri Lanka to rotate their bowling options.
Azam reached his 22nd Test fifty before Hasan departed and he then shielded number 11 Naseem by facing most of the balls in a defiant show of batting.
He hit fast bowler Kasun Rajitha for three straight boundaries and later a six and four off mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana and Jayasuriya to close in on Sri Lanka's 222.
For Sri Lanka, it was a taste of their own medicine after they had fought back from 133-8 on Saturday, when Pakistan left-arm quick Shaheen Shah Afridi took four wickets.
Pakistan resumed the day on 24 for two when play started 30 minutes late because of rain and Azhar Ali could only survive three balls before he was trapped lbw by Jayasuriya.
Debutant Salman Ali Agha's stay lasted just 15 balls before he was out leg before to another sliding delivery from Jayasuriya having scored five.
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Jayasuriya, 30, then struck on successive deliveries to remove Mohammad Nawaz and Shaheen Shah Afridi before Yasir survived the hat-trick ball.