Sanath Jayasuriya smashed 253 and Dilhara Fernando took four wickets to put Sri Lanka on the brink of a crushing win over Pakistan on the fourth day of the first Test in Faisalabad on Saturday.

Fernando rocked the hosts, chasing a Test record-equalling 418 for victory, reducing them to 114 for four at the close, with Yousuf Youhana unbeaten on 23 and Shoaib Malik on three.

Fernando upstaged Jayasuriya's third Test double hundred with a stunning spell of swing bowling at a lively pace on a placid pitch.

He trapped openers Yasir Hameed (17) and Imran Farhat (53) leg before wicket and bowled Asim Kamal (one) and captain Inzamam-ul-Haq (three) after the hosts had started solidly with an opening partnership of 59.

Fernando took three wickets in 24 balls and then clipped Inzamam's off stump to dash Pakistan's hopes of achieving their highest successful fourth-innings run chase in Tests. They made 315 to beat Australia in Karachi in 1994.

Sri Lanka have won their last two Test series in Pakistan and beat their Asian rivals in the 2002 Asian Test championship final.

Jayasuriya was earlier in complete command as Sri Lanka recovered from the loss of five wickets in the day's opening session to post a total of 438 in their second innings.

The 35-year-old left-hander, playing his 93rd Test, batted over eight hours and faced 348 balls before he was last man out, trapped leg before wicket by spinner Danish Kaneria.

"I hope my innings helps us win this Test match. Because all of us want to show everyone Sri Lanka is a team capable of winning abroad," he said.

"I have never thought about individual landmarks. But getting such a score obviously is very pleasing."

Jayasuriya's highest score was 340 against India in 1997. He also made 213 against England at the Oval a year later.

"It is always important for me when I get runs outside Sri Lanka. But I am satisfied today because I scored runs when my team needed it the most," he said.

Resuming on 131, Jayasuriya went on to hit 33 fours and four sixes in the highest individual score in Tests between the two countries, surpassing the 230 by Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara at Lahore in 2002.

Jayasuriya, now just three runs short of completing 1000 runs in a calendar year, was in a savage mood after lunch as he shared a ninth-wicket stand of 101 with Fernando, who contributed just a solitary run.

Jayasuriya launched a brutal counter-attack, taking four fours from one Shoaib Akhtar over before smashing Malik for two huge sixes over mid-wicket.

He also brought up his 200 by pulling Shoaib over fine leg for six.

Scoreboard:

Sri Lanka first innings: 243 (T.Samaraweera 100; S.Akhtar 5-60)

Pakistan first innings: 264 (Y.Hameed 58; R.Herath 3-68)

Sri Lanka second innings:
M.Atapattu lbw Shoaib Akhtar 0
S.Jayasuriya lbw Danish Kaneria 253
K.Sangakkara c Moin Khan b Shoaib Akhtar 59
M.Jayawardene c Moin Khan b Danish Kaneria 57
T.Samaraweera run out 21
J.Mubarak c Moin Khan b Shoaib Akhtar 0
R.Kaluwitharana c sub b Danish Kaneria 1
C.Vaas b Shoaib Malik 4
R.Herath lbw Danish Kaneria 5
D.Fernando run out 1
L.Malinga not out 0

Extras (b-12 lb-5 w-3 nb-12 penalty runs-5) 37

Total (all out in 109.2 overs) 438

Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-98 3-216 4-309 5-314 6-319 7-330 8-337 9-438

Bowling: Shoaib Akhtar 25-1-115-3 (nb-6, w-3), Mohammad Sami 12-1-48-0 (nb-4), Abdul Razzaq 22-2-78-0 (nb-2), Danish Kaneria 38.2-4-117-4, Shoaib Malik 12-1-58-1

Pakistan second innings:
Yasir Hameed lbw Fernando 17
Imran Farhat lbw Fernando 53
Asim Kamal b Fernando 1
Inzamam-ul-Haq b Fernando 3
Yousuf Youhana not out 23
Shoaib Malik not out 3

Extras (b-4 w-5 nb-5) 14

Total (for four wickets, 41 overs ) 114

To bat: Abdul Razzaq, Moin Khan, Shoaib Akhtar, Muhammad Sami, Danish Kaneria

Fall of wickets: 1-59 2-65 3-86 4-91

Bowling: C.Vaas 9-1-42-0 (w-5), L.Malinga 6-2-13-0 (nb-2), R.Herath 14-4-27-0, D.Fernando 9-2-27-4 (nb-3), S.Jayasuriya 3-2-1-0.