Colombo: Kumar Sangakkara scored an unbeaten 81 to give Sri Lanka a 74-run first innings lead on the first day of the second Test after dismissing Pakistan for a paltry 90 runs on Sunday.

Sri Lanka reached 164-3 at stumps in response to Pakistan's worst-ever Test innings against the hosts, eclipsing its 117 in the first Test at Galle last week.

Opener Malinda Warnapura was trapped lbw by seamer Umar Gul for 11 runs with the total on 28 before Sri Lanka captain Sangakkara partnered with Tharanga Paranavitana for a determined 54-run partnership for the second wicket.

Paranavitana was out for 26 when he edged a ball from offspinner Saeed Ajmal to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.

Sangakkara, who completed his 31st Test half century, went on to join Mahela Jayawardene for a 51-run third-wicket stand until Jayawardene was caught at forward-short leg by Khurram Manzoor off Ajmal for 19.

At stumps Sangakkara was batting with Thilan Samaraweera on 13.

Ajmal was the pick of the Pakistani bowlers with figures of 2-45.

Earlier, seam bowler Nuwan Kulasekera claimed four wickets to bundle out Pakistan in the second session as they struggled against the new ball on a seaming pitch after captain Younis Khan won the toss and elected to bat first at P.Sara-Oval.

Kulasekera first dismissed Manzoor for three when the opener pushed at an inswinger and was caught by wicketkeeper Tillakaratne Dilshan with the total on four.

Khan was out for a duck off a ball from left-arm seamer Thilan Thushara, while Mohammad Yousuf reached 10 before playing a square-drive against Kulasekera only to be caught at cover-point by Rangana Herath.

Misbah-ul-Haq edged a Kulasekera delivery to Dilshan without scoring as Pakistan collapsed to 19-4.

Rookie opener Fawad Alam and former captain Shoaib Malik tried briefly to resurrect the innings with a 32-run, fifth wicket stand, before seamer Anjelo Mathews trapped Alam lbw for 16.

Pakistan went to lunch at 74-6 with Malik batting on 27 with Abdur Rauf, who was yet to score, but Kulasekera struck soon after the interval without any addition to the total when he trapped Rauf lbw.

Spinner Ajantha Mendis took care of the tailenders, dispatching Gul for 1, Mohammad Aamer for 2 and Ajmal for a duck.

Malik top scored for Pakistan, finishing the innings with an unbeaten 39 from 88 balls, including five boundaries.

Kulasekera returned the best bowling figures 4-21, while Mendis took 3-20 and Thushara had 2-23.