Mohammad Aamer and Saeed Ajmal claimed three wickets apiece to put Pakistan within touching distance of victory on the third day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.

Left-arm paceman Aamer rocked Sri Lanka's famed middle order with three quick strikes in the afternoon session, while off-spinner Ajmal mopped up the tail as the hosts were skittled for just 217 in their second innings.

That left Pakistan, who had taken a first-innings lead of 50 runs, a target of 168 to secure the lead in this three-Test series.

The visitors began the chase strongly, but Sri Lanka hit back by removing Khurram Manzoor and Younus Khan cheaply in fading light.

Pakistan had progressed to 71 for two when bad light brought an end to the day's proceedings 17 overs prematurely, with Salman Butt 28 not out and first-innings centurion Mohammad Yousuf unbeaten on 12. They require only 97 more runs for victory with two full days remaining.

Overnight rain had caused a slight delay to the start and Pakistan's bowlers diligently exploited the conditions.

Sri Lanka's batsmen also contributed to their own downfall with an uncharacteristic lack of application.

Several players achieved starts only to throw their wickets away.

Umar Gul set the tempo with a superb first over, snaring the wicket of opener Malinda Warnapura for a duck off the second delivery of the morning.

Gul maintained an immaculate line outside off-stump and lured the batsman into edging to Younus at second slip.

Gul's bowling, however, degenerated into a mixture of no-balls and loose deliveries, which served to dissipate pressure and enable Tharanga Paranavitana to get into his rhythm.

The left-hander looked far more fluent than he did en route to his maiden half-century in the first innings and steadied the ship with a stand of 68 for the second wicket with overnight batsman Rangana Herath.

Younus, however, broke that partnership by trapping Herath lbw four overs prior to the lunch interval, although television replays cast doubt on umpire Daryl Harper's decision.

Pakistan asserted their superiority through an inspired spell from Aamer, who broke the back of Sri Lanka's formidable middle order with three wickets in quick succession - all caught behind by Kamran Akmal.

He denied Paranavitana back-to-back half-centuries by dismissing him for 49 and then got Mahela Jayawardene for a second-ball duck with a delivery that was directed just outside off stump. Kumar Sangakkara followed in similar fashion for just 14.

Those blows brought Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera together and the two began the process of rebuilding.

Both looked in fine touch and began with a flurry of boundaries until Dilshan's aggressive technique once again proved his undoing.

Younus, who again churned out his brand of swinging medium-pacers to good effect, tempted the batsman with an innocuous delivery pitched well outside off-stump. Dilshan attempted to steer it away to the third-man boundary with an open-faced blade and perished as the edge flew straight to Manzoor at second slip.

Samaraweera progressed confidently to 34 until Ajmal induced another edge to secure his first wicket of the innings.

Samaraweera lunged forward to defend, but the ball flicked the edge which Misbah-ul-Haq held neatly at slip.

Angelo Mathews, by then the last recognised batsman at the crease, also gained a start which he frittered away with a loose stroke. He scored 27 before slashing at a wide delivery from Abdur Rauf, and Butt took the catch at third man.

The tail then scrambled to raise the target above the 200-run mark.

Nuwan Kulasekara made a useful 25, but fell to another dubious leg-before decision from Harper. Ajmal was the fortunate bowler on that occasion, but there was no doubt with the dismissal of last man Ajantha Mendis.

He was bowled between bat and pad for one, leaving Thilan Thushara not out on 15.