Fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara claimed four wickets and then Kumar Sangakkara slammed an unbeaten half-century as Sri Lanka seized control on the first day of the second Test against Pakistan in Colombo.

Kulasekara finished with figures of four wickets for 21 and spinner Ajantha Mendis chipped in with three for 20 as the visitors were dismissed for a paltry 90 runs midway through the afternoon session.

Sangakkara continued the home team's dominance with a fluent innings as Sri Lanka's hopes of securing their first Test series win against Pakistan at home gained momentum.

Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal claimed two wickets in the final session, but Sri Lanka had progressed to a comfortable 164 for three at stumps - a lead of 74.

Sangakkara was unbeaten on 81, while Thilan Samaraweera was on 13 in a fourth-wicket partnership so far worth 31.

There was a bit on offer in the air and from the pitch for the quicks and Kulasekara took advantage, although he struggled to control the swing in his first over with the new ball.

The top-ranked bowler in one-day internationals delivered an intelligent and fiery first spell, picking up a wicket in three successive overs - blows from which the visitors never recovered.

Pakistan had axed Salman Butt from the line-up which had done duty in Galle and paired debutant Fawad Alam with Khurram Manzoor at the top of the order.

Captain Younus Khan had reckoned at the toss that the pitch would favour batting, but instead Kulasekara stole the honours even before the ball had lost its shine.

He neatly set up Manzoor with a delivery that swung in to the right-hander and snared him with one that held its line. Manzoor had got on to the front foot to cover the inswing, but instead edged straight to stand-in wicketkeeper Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Left-arm seamer Thilan Thushara, who had shared the new ball with Kulasekara, then sent back Younus with the first ball of his second over, getting the Pakistan skipper to drag one back on to his stumps.

At six for two, Pakistan desperately needed some stability and Mohammad Yousuf began the task of rebuilding confidently.

He chopped Kulasekara into the ground and over the slip cordon for a boundary off the first ball and followed up with delectable square-driven boundary later in the over.

In between, a good shout for leg before was turned down by umpire Daryl Harper, but Kulasekara returned to snare Yousuf.

Yousuf had just reached double figures when he went down on one knee to cream a fuller length delivery, but only ended up scooping it to Rangana Herath at point.

Kulasekara had Misbah-ul-Haq back in the pavilion for a duck, caught behind off the inside edge as Pakistan's now familiar tendency to capitulate continued.

Shoaib Malik showed there were no demons in the pitch as he attempted a rear-guard battle.

Malik had begun with a superb straight drive straight past the bowler, scored another with a similar stroke of Thushara and hammered a third through covers early in his innings.

Malik put on 32 for the fifth wicket with Alam - quite easily Pakistan's best period of play - but the innings came apart once Alam was trapped in front for 16 by Angelo Mathews.

Kulasekara returned in the afternoon session to get rid of Abdur Rauf for a 34-ball duck, while Thushara had Kamran Akmal caught behind cheaply.

Pakistan's innings then folded for their lowest ever total against Sri Lanka with Mendis claiming three wickets, including two off successive deliveries to bring the curtain down and leave Malik stranded on 39.

Malinda Warnapura, who had two failures in the first Test, and Tharanga Paranavitana began Sri Lanka's response confidently until Umar Gul secured a leg before decision against Warnapura.

While replays suggested the bowler was a touch lucky, Warnapura's contribution was a mere 11 runs which leaves his spot in the side on shaky ground.

Sangakkara then put on 54 for the second wicket with Paranavitana until that partnership was ended by Ajmal, although the bowler was considerably aided by the batsman.

Paranavitana (26) rocked back to cut a short-pitched delivery from the off-spinner but only managed a bottom-edge which Akmal pouched at the second attempt.

Mahela Jayawardene looked good for his 19, but an inside-edge off the pad was neatly held by Manzoor at short leg, but by then Sri Lanka had gone well past Pakistan's first-innings total.