Opener Upul Tharanga and Mahela Jayawardene notched fighting half-centuries to propel Sri Lanka to 235-7 in the second day-night international of the five-match series against Pakistan at Dubai stadium here on Monday.
Tharanga scored 77 while Jayawardene returned to form with 50 as they shared a fourth wicket stand of 85 to lift Sri Lanka, who won the toss and were restricted in the middle overs by disciplined Pakistan bowling.
Skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan and Tharanga gave a solid 56-run start to their team by the 12th over when leg-spinner Shahid Afridi, man-of-the-match in the first match for his 3-27, provided Pakistan with a breakthrough, bowling the Lankan skipper for a 40-ball 28.
Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 516 in the preceding three-Test series which Pakistan won 1-0, managed just five before paceman Abdul Razzaq caught him off his own bowling, leaving Sri Lanka at 65-2.
It became 3-94 when Dinesh Chandimal (15) fell to off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, leaving Tharanga and Jayawardene to give the innings some respectability.
Tharanga hit eight boundaries during his 120-ball knock before he was caught off Afridi.
Jayawardene, who was lacklustre in the Tests as well as in the first one-dayer, hit five boundaries during his 57-ball knock before he was bowled by Ajmal.
Ajmal finished with 3-61 while Afridi bagged 2-35.
LATEST
Pakistan were in early strife, reaching 40 for 3 after 10 overs, with Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat and Younis Khan back in the hut.