Debutant fast bowler Saqib Khan spearheaded Pakistan's fightback in the first cricket Test with a seven-wicket haul, as Sri Lanka were dismissed for a 12-run first-innings lead on Thursday.
Saqib claimed 7-130, making the most of ideal overcast conditions with his sharp swing bowling to bowl out Sri Lanka for 446 within the first 90 minutes of Day 4. The visitors lost their final six wickets for just 42 runs.
Saqib dismissed Asitha Fernando through a review, with the batter caught behind to give wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori his sixth catch of the innings. The 31-year-old became only the fourth Pakistan bowler, after Mohammad Nazir, Mohammad Zahid and Abrar Ahmed, to take seven wickets in an innings on his Test debut.
Fernando had earlier trapped Tayyab Arif, one of Pakistan's four debutants, leg before wicket. Pakistan reached 39-1 in their second innings at lunch, taking their overall lead to 27 runs. Azan Awais was unbeaten on 16, while Mohammad Taha was not out on 12.
The greenish pitch, which had produced only one wicket on the second day, came alive under favourable bowling conditions, with seven wickets falling in the first session on Thursday.
Saqib delivered a relentless eight-over spell on the fourth morning, taking five wickets for 25 runs after Sri Lanka resumed at a commanding 404-4, built around centuries from Dhananjaya de Silva and captain Kusal Mendis.
He struck with the fifth ball of the morning to break the 249-run partnership, finding the outside edge of de Silva's bat. The batter, who had been unbeaten on 167 overnight, could add nothing to his score.
Saud Shakeel, who dropped de Silva on 38 on the third day, missed another opportunity when he spilled a low catch offered by Mendis. But two balls later, Ghori took another outstanding diving catch off Saqib's probing delivery outside the off stump to end the Sri Lankan captain's innings at 119.
Sonal Dinusha, one of Sri Lanka's rising talents who had scored three centuries and two half-centuries in his previous five Tests, made 20 before attempting an expansive drive against Saqib and edging the ball to the slip cordon. The wicket completed the fast bowler's five-wicket haul.
Milan Rathnayake took Sri Lanka past Pakistan's first-innings total of 434-9 declared with a pull shot for four off Razaullah. Saqib then claimed two more wickets, while Razaullah (1-140) completed Pakistan's impressive morning by having Rathnayake caught at deep fine leg.