Aamer puts Pakistan on top

Fast bowler Mohammad Aamer claimed three quick wickets in the afternoon session to put Pakistan in command against Sri Lanka on the third day of the first Test in Galle.

Aamer first denied Tharanga Paranavitana back-to-back half-centuries by dismissing him for 49 and then triggered a collapse by snaring Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara cheaply.

At tea, Sri Lanka had reached 182 for seven in their second innings - a lead of just 132. Angelo Mathews was batting on 24 alongside Nuwan Kulasekara on nine.

Aamer turned in an inspired spell immediately after the lunch interval, generating movement of the seam which had the batsmen in some trouble. Paranavitana went first, edging a delivery which moved away to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.

Jayawardene was removed for a duck, hanging out his bat to a delivery outside the off-stump and offering Akmal a simple catch. The backbone of Sri Lanka's batting then snapped with the dismissal of Sangakkara for 14.

The captain produced a classy straight drive soon after walking out to bat and looked in good touch until Aamer struck. The left-arm paceman lured Sangakkara into the drive and Akmal dived to his right to pouch the resulting edge.

Thilan Samaraweera and Tillakaratne Dilshan looked to steady the ship, but Younus Khan broke that partnership by removing the latter for his second scalp of the innings.

Dilshan and Samaraweera had dealt in boundaries for the most part of their brief partnership. Dilshan clubbed four in his knock of 22 when Younus tempted him with a delivery pitched well outside off-stump. Dilshan took the bait and ended up slashing to Khurram Manzoor at second slip.

Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, whose role has been limited in this Test thanks to the success of Pakistan's fast bowlers, then had Sri Lanka reeling when he dismissed Samaraweera for 34.

Five wickets fell in the extended afternoon session, typical of an innings which had begun badly.