Kamran Akmal watches as Farveez Maharoof is bowled

Pakistan squared the Test series against Sri Lanka but made heavy weather of their six wicket win.

Needing 137, they slumped to 57-4 but Shoaib Malik ended a nervous run chase by hitting 22 runs off one Rangana Herath over to end 53 not out.

He was ably assisted by Abdul Razzaq, whose unbeaten 35 helped steer Pakistan to victory in Karachi.

Earlier, Danish Kaneria finished with 7-118 and 10 wickets in the match, as Sri Lanka rode their luck to reach 406.

The day began well enough for the home side as Farveez Maharoof was bowled by Kaneria for the addition of just three runs to the overnight score, leaving Sri Lanka 364-8 and a lead of just 94.

Rangana Herath leads an appeal as Yousuf Youhana falls lbw

But Chaminda Vaas, who remained unbeaten on 32, was involved in stubborn stands of 23 for the ninth wicket with Herath and 16 for the last wicket with Dilhara Fernando.

Pakistan did not help their cause when acting captain Yousuf Youhana dropped Herath off Razzaq in the seventh over of the day.

Medium pacer Naved-ul-Hasan finally broke the ninth wicket partnership when he took a return catch off Herath for six that had to be referred to the third umpire.

By then Vaas had become only the ninth man in Test history to complete the double of 2,000 runs and 200 wickets.

Pakistan should have wrapped up the innings when Vaas miscued a hook shot off Naved but Razzaq dropped a sitter at fine leg with four overs to go before lunch.

Finally, in the second over after lunch, Naved had Fernando caught behind and Pakistan could begin their run chase with plenty of overs remaining in the match.

Quotes: Inzamam glad to overcome pressure moment

Yasir Hameed and Imran Farhat began smoothly, putting on 31 for the first wicket.

But as soon as Farhat was caught in the slips driving Vaas, three more wickets fell for the addition of just 16 runs.

SL fought back well but in the end their first innings batting performance undid them From KA Have your say on TMS

Hameed drive Herath to extra-cover, Youhana was trapped lbw by Herath's googly and Younis Khan was spectacularly caught by Marvan Atapattu, diving to his left at mid-off to give Vaas another wicket.

With Inzamam-ul-Haq staying in the pavilion to give his injured back a break, Pakistan were in desperate straits.

They badly needed a partnership and mercifully it was provided in spades by Malik and Razzaq.

Pakistan: Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Yousuf Youhana, Yasir Hameed, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Rana Naved, Riaz Afridi, Danish Kaneria.