Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq put on a stand of 82 runs to guide Pakistan to a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka on the final day of the second Test in Karachi on Monday.
The win levelled the two-match series 1-1 and prevented Sri Lanka from completing a hat trick of victories in Pakistan after their successes in 1995/96 and 1999/2000.
"We were without our main bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Muhammad Sami, yet we managed to win with the available resources," said Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, who sat out the last two and a half days of the match with a back problem.
"We came out of a tight situation today and this is good for our tour to Australia (in December)."
Chasing 137 for victory after Sri Lanka had made 406 in their second innings, Pakistan were struggling on 57 for four until Malik, with an unbeaten 53, and Razzaq, not out on 35, steadied things.
Chaminda Vaas and Rangana Herath took two wickets each as Imran Farhat (19), Yasir Hameed (15), Yousuf Youhana (one) and Younis Khan (14) fell in the space of 26 runs to give Sri Lanka an outside chance of victory.
Farhat was caught at second slip by Mahela Jayawardene off Vaas.
Yasir failed to keep a drive off Herath down and skipper Marvan Atapattu took a magnificent low catch in the covers.
Herath then trapped Youhana leg before wicket and Vaas had Younis caught by a diving Atapattu at wide mid-off.
But Malik, whose 60-ball knock included six fours and a six, hit 22 runs in the final over off Herath to bring up victory in 37 overs.
MORE CONSISTENCY
Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer felt the second Test was more evenly contested after his side had lost by 201 runs in Faisalabad but said they still needed to show more consistency.
"We played in this Test in patches. There were times when we gave away the initiative and allowed them to come back," he said.
The match was dominated by Pakistan leg spinner Danish Kaneria with match figures of 10 for 190.
The 23-year took seven for 118 in the Sri Lankan second innings which ended in the second over after lunch with Vaas unbeaten on 32.
Resuming on 361 for seven, Sri Lanka lost Farveez Maharoof (three) in the second over, bowled by Kaneria with a brute of a leg spinner.
But Vaas, who hit five fours, got good support from tailenders Herath (six) and Dilhara Fernando (four) and added 42 runs to the total.
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 208 in their first innings and conceded a lead of 270 to Pakistan who made 478 thanks to centuries from Younis Khan (124) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (117).
Sanath Jayasuriya (107) and Kumar Sangakkara (138) hit hundreds in Sri Lanka's second innings.
"I am disappointed that we lost the match in the end after a hard fight. But other teams would have folded by the fourth day after being bowled out for 208 on the first day," said Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu.
"This tour has been a good learning curve for our side which is becoming better by the day."
Scoreboard:
Sri Lanka first innings 208 (Romesh Kaluwitharana 54; Abdul Razzaq 5-35)
Pakistan first innings 478 (Younis Khan 124, Inzamam-ul-Haq 117)
Sri Lanka second innings (overnight 361-7)
S.Jayasuriya c Shoaib Malik b Danish Kaneria 107
M.Atapattu c Yasir Hameed b Danish Kaneria 25
K.Sangakkara c Kamran Akmal b Rana Naved 138
M.Jayawardene c Yasir Hameed b Danish Kaneria 32
T.Samaraweera c Younis Khan b Danish Kaneria 22
J.Mubarak c Imran Farhat b Danish Kaneria 2
R.Kaluwitharana b Danish Kaneria 7
C.Vaas not out 32
F.Maharoof b Danish Kaneria 3
R.Herath c and b Rana Naved 6
D.Fernando c Kamran Akmal b Rana Naved 4
Extras (b-6 lb-10 nb-12) 28
Total (all out, 141.5 overs) 406
Fall of wickets: 1-117 2-170 3-253 4-333 5-351 6-359 7-360 8-364 9-387
Bowling: Rana Naved 24.5-4-83-3 (nb-1), Riaz Afridi 12-3-45-0, Abdul Razzaq 29-8-99-0 (nb-7), Danish Kaneria 60-20-118-7, Shoaib Malik 16-5-45-0 (nb-3)
Pakistan second innings
Yasir Hameed c Atapattu b Herath 15
Imran Farhat c Jayawardene b Vaas 19
Younis Khan c Atapattu b Vaas 14
Yousuf Youhana lbw Herath 1
Shoaib Malik not out 53
Abdul Razzaq not out 35
Extras (lb-1 nb-1) 2
Total (for four wickets, 37 overs) 139
Fall of wickets: 1-31 2-43 3-47 4-57
Bowling: Vaas 14-0-45-2, Maharoof 2-0-13-0, Herath 15-2-63-2, Jayasuriya 3-0-6-0, Fernando 3-0-11-0 (nb-1)
Result: Pakistan won by six wickets.
First Test: Faisalabad - Sri Lanka won by 201 runs.
Series Result: Two-Test series drawn 1-1.
