Colombo, July 21: Wily leg-spinner Danish Kaneria grabbed 5/62 as Pakistan inched ahead of Sri Lanka on the second day of the third and final Test here on Tuesday.

Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal chipped in with 3/70 as Pakistan, bowled out for 299 in the first innings, hit back to dismiss Sri Lanka for 233 in the final session of an absorbing day’s play.

The tourists were 16/1 in their second knock at stumps to take an overall lead of 82 runs with nine wickets in hand on a pitch aiding spin at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

Kaneria took his 13th five-wicket haul as the ball turned and bounced to claim 14 wickets on the second day after seven had fallen on the first. Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Rangana Herath bowled Khurram Manzoor in the day’s final over to leave Fawad Alam unbeaten on 14 and skipper Younis Khan on zero.

Sri Lanka owe it to a fluent 79 from Mahela Jayawardena, a brave 44 from the twice injured Tillakaratne Dilshan and shoddy fielding by Pakistan to ensure the deficit was not threatening.

Sri Lanka were tottering at 181/8 when Dilshan stepped in to stem the rot with the tailenders despite a broken finger on his right hand that prevented him from keeping wicket in the morning.

Dilshan hit two sixes and as many boundaries and inspired the last two batsmen, Herath and Thilan Thushara, to add a further 52 runs. Just before he was the last man to be dismissed, Dilshan suffered a bloody cut above the left eye as a ball from Ajmal crashed through the helmet, prompting immediate medical attention on the field.

Pakistan will consider themselves unlucky to see Dilshan conjure the rescue act as umpire Ian Gould turned down an appeal for a catch at short-leg off Ajmal before the batsman had scored. — AFP