Sri Lanka knuckled down and threatened to dig their way out of a giant hole on a fluctuating second day of the first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch.

Defiant openers Dimuth Karunaratne (49) and Kaushal Silva (33) steered the tourists to 84 without loss at stumps after they faced a deficit of 303 when asked to follow on at Hagley Oval.

Their assured opening stand saw off 35 overs, a contrast to Sri Lanka’s fleeting first innings of 138 which lasted just 7.4 overs longer.

With New Zealand having scored 441, Sri Lanka are 219 runs behind with 10 wickets in hand and three days to play.

It’s better than could have been hoped after they crumbled inside two heady sessions on Saturday, succumbing to the bounce and movement of New Zealand’s seam attack.

That zip was lacking in the final session, along with the accuracy of their earlier fielding.

After pouching eight from eight catches in Sri Lanka’s first innings they shelled their only chance after tea, when reserve fielder Cole McConchie dropped a simple chance at square leg from Karunaratne on 10.

New Zealand’s seamers were in command through the first two sessions, led by Trent Boult (3-25), who trapped both openers lbw inside five overs before luring a snick from Kumar Sangakkara (6).

It left Sangakkara six runs short of becoming the fifth batsman to score 12,000 Test runs.

Neil Wagner (3-60), Tim Southee (2-17) and allrounder Jimmy Neesham (2-28) dominated the second session, snaffling the last seven wickets for 80 runs.

Batting at that stage appeared considerably harder than when home captain Brendon McCullum blasted his blistering 195 on Friday.

Counterpart Angelo Matthews provided the only Sri Lankan batting resistance, reaching 50 before he was caught in the deep off Wagner.

It continued an exceptional year for allrounder Mathews, who has scored 1094 runs at an average of 78.1.

He was also their most successful bowler in the first innings, taking 3-39.

Earlier the tourists claimed the last three Black Caps wickets for 12 runs inside six overs after they had resumed at 7-429.