The Sri Lanka attack made good use of a helpful Colombo pitch

South Africa endured their lowest total against Sri Lanka and were only 41 ahead as the home side closed day one of the first Test in Colombo on 128-2.

Having reached lunch at 78-2, they lost Jacques Rudolph (29) to the second ball of the afternoon session and the last four wickets fell within five overs.

AB De Villiers was last out for 65, Muttiah Muralitharan's fourth wicket.

After a shaky start, Sri Lanka were guided by Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene who shared an unbroken 114.

It was an important partnership after Dale Steyn had ousted Sanath Jayasuriya in the second over for four and found the glove of Upul Tharanga for seven.

Sangakkara was given two early reprieves, dropped on seven by Jacques Rudolph and getting an inside edge into his stumps to a no-ball in the same over from Steyn.

He punished the South Africans with three successive fours off Andrew Hall and hit a total of 10 boundaries in his 59, while Jayawardene's more composed 30th Test fifty contained seven fours.

Given the flurry of dismissals, the South Africans may be rueing the decision to leave out opener Boeta Dippenaar, in favour of a fifth bowler, Steyn.

Sri Lanka omitted leg-spinner Malinga Bandara and went in with three seamers and a lone specialist spinner Muralitharan.

Guys were feeling nervous and tentative and it came out in our batting unfortunately South Africa coach Mickey Arthur

Muralitharan suffered a minor injury scare when he split the webbing on his left hand while fielding to his own bowling, but he resumed after his hand was strapped.

One of his notable victims was Hashim Amla, who failed to pick the doosra and was stumped.

On a muggy morning offering assistance to the bowlers, the tourists put 32 on the board but lost Hall in the 10th over when he dragged one onto his stumps, the first of four wickets for Dilhara Fernando.

Herschelle Gibbs also fell to Fernando, deceived by some inward seam movement that saw his off-stump clipped.

With leading batsmen Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis absent, the new South Africa captain Ashwell Prince had a difficult day, which began by winning the toss and opting to bat.

He followed one that angled away and edged for one, then watched his remaining batsmen crumble.

Coach Mickey Arthur said afterwards: "There was a fair amount of soft dismissals, we never got going, we were slightly tentative.

"Guys were feeling nervous and tentative and it came out in our batting unfortunately."