Pakistan fight back to cut Sri Lanka lead

Pakistan's openers responded aggressively to Sri Lanka's first innings total to cut the visitors' lead to 23 runs on day two of the second Test.

Abid Ali (32) and Shan Masood (21) scored at a brisk pace and guided Pakistan to 0-57 in 14 overs in their second innings on Friday, before stumps was called early due to bad light.

Dinesh Chandimal's resolute 74 and Dilruwan Perera's equally splendid 48 had earlier helped Sri Lanka score 271 for an 80-run first innings lead.

Sri Lanka's fast bowlers couldn't find the same seam movement they made use of on the first day, when Pakistan were bowled out for 191.

Meanwhile Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi (5-77) had his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket and Mohammad Abbas took 4-55.

But leg-spinner Yasir Shah (0-43) again failed to get a wicket despite working with spin consultant Mushtaq Ahmed for three days when he was dropped from the first Test squad.

Afridi and Abbas had to share the bowling burden as 16-year-old paceman Naseem Shah (0-71) also leaked runs at an average of 4.43 per over.

Part-time left-arm spinner Haris Sohail finally ended Chandimal's knock before tea when he attempted a loose square cut off left-arm spinner Haris Sohail, and was caught at point.

Abbas had raised Pakistan's hopes of restricting Sri Lanka's lead when he had Niroshan Dickwella clean bowled early in the second session, with the visitors still seven runs away from wiping out the deficit.

But Chandimal and Perera were untroubled by Yasir's spin and contributed with a meaningful half-century partnership for the eighth-wicket stand before Pakistan took the second new ball.

Afridi wrapped up the innings by having Perera lbw, and one ball later knocked the off stump of No.11 batsman Kumara.

In an extended first session of two hours, 40 minutes due to Friday prayers, Chandimal held the Sri Lanka innings together after the visitors resumed on 3-64.

Nightwatchman Lasith Embuldeniya (13) frustrated the fast bowlers for over half an hour before falling to an awful stroke.

Embuldeniya strangely attempted a swat sweep against Abbas but got a leading edge and was caught in the second slip.

Afridi then found the inside edge of Angelo Mathews' bat as the former Sri Lanka captain struggled in negotiating with the seam bowling of the three pacemen.

But Chandimal and Dhananjaya settled in for a 67-run sixth-wicket stand.

Afridi broke the threatening partnership in his second spell when Dhananjaya top-edged a pull shot and was caught at fine leg, before Chandimal and Dickwella denied Pakistan further success and took them to lunch on 6-170.

The rain-affected first Test at Rawalpindi ended in a draw last week. It's Pakistan's first Test series at home in more than 10 years, since the Sri Lanka team came under a terrorist attack at Lahore in 2009.