An unbeaten half-century by opener Tillakaratne Dilshan helped Sri Lanka to 1-94 at lunch on the first day of the first cricket Test against Pakistan.

After winning the toss at Galle International Stadium, Sri Lanka’s openers added 63 runs for the first wicket before the introduction of spinner Saeed Ajmal gave Pakistan the breakthrough.

Left-handed opener Tharanga Paranavithana, making his comeback to the side, had struggled against spin and was stumped for 24 in the first over from Ajmal (1-18).

Paranavithana had been dropped in the same over by Azhar Ali at silly mid-off and two balls later Adnan Akmal produced the stumping to complete 50 Test dismissals.

Dilshan was in an aggressive mode, reaching his half-century off just 49 balls with the help of five fours and a six. He was unbeaten on 56 at lunch, with Kumar Sangakkara not out 12.

Sri Lanka were forced to leave out left-arm seamer Chanaka Welagedara due to a sore shoulder and brought in right-arm paceman Nuwan Pradeep Fernando.

Pakistan are without the services of captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who has been suspended by the International Cricket Council for a slow over rate during Pakistan’s two-wicket loss to Sri Lanka in the fifth one-day international in Colombo on Monday.

Opener Mohammad Hafeez is leading the side while 32-year-old Mohammad Ayub, a veteran of 93 first-class games, made his Test debut.