The win levelled the two-match series 1-1 and prevented Sri Lanka from completing a hattrick of victories in Pakistan after their successes in 1995-96 and 1999-2000.

"We were without our main bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami, yet we managed to win with the available resources," said Pakistan captain Inzamamul 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.

Hameed 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 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.

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 Kane-ria 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 tail-enders 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 Inzamamul Haq (117).

Sanath Jayasuriya (107) and Kumar Sangakkara (138) hit hundreds in Sri Lanka's second innings.