Chaminda Vaas hit back with four wickets for 17 runs to leave the West Indies on 92-5 in reply to Sri Lanka's 150 all out at the close of the first day of the second Test on Friday.
Vaas shook off flu to claim the wickets of Xavier Marshall (4), Runako Morton (1), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (13) and Sylvester Joseph (18) either side of the tea interval.
At the close, West Indies trailed by 58 runs with Narsingh Deonarine unbeaten on 36 and wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin on eight not out.
Sri Lanka won the first Test in Colombo by six wickets.
Jamaican fast bowler Daren Powell had starred for the tourists earlier on Friday, taking a career-best 5-25 as Sri Lanka were bowled out in just 46.1 overs, justifying his team's decision to bowl first on a dry, grassless pitch.
Powell bowled two lively bursts either side of lunch and was well supported by Tino Best, the first change support seamer, who finished with three for 50 from 10 fiery overs.
The only substantial resistance from the hosts came from Tillakaratne Dilshan (36) and Thilan Samaraweera (37) who fought back after their team had slumped to 42 for four.
The fifth-wicket pair added 56 in 76 balls before Best grabbed back the initiative in the last over before lunch with an athletic chase-and-throw off his own bowling to run out Dilshan with a direct hit.
In the first hour, opener Sanath Jayasuriya had survived an early scare when hit on the arm guard just above his gloves but went soon after for two when he was dubiously adjudged to have been caught behind off Powell.
Kumar Sangakkara had only himself to blame for his dismissal 16 minutes later after being brilliantly caught by Runako Morton at second slip after a wild slash outside his off stump.
Captain Marvan Atapattu made 17 when Best, replacing Jermaine Lawson after a five-over burst with the new ball, bowled him with a first delivery that swung back through the gate to hit off stump.
Sri Lanka slipped to 42 for four when Best found the outside edge of Mahela Jayawardene (6) and Runako Morton held on to a regulation catch at third slip.
COUNTER-ATTACK
Dilshan, though, counter-attacked for the hosts, stroking a series of stylish boundaries and plundering Best for 15 in one over before his last-over dismissal before lunch.
After the interval Chaminda Vaas miscued an attempted pull off Best before a slow 20-run partnership between Thilan Samaraweera and all rounder Gayan Wijekoon (14).
But after the afternoon drinks break off spinner Omari Banks broke the deadlock when Samaraweera poked a catch straight into the midriff of Deonarine.
Muttiah Muralitharan slogged his way to 18 not out, before Powell finished off the innings with the wickets of Wijekoon and last man Lasith Malinga (0).
Sri Lanka were unchanged while West Indies included uncapped opener Ryan Ramdass in place of middle order batsman Dwayne Smithmade.
Ramdass (3) was run out in the third over of the tourists' first innings when both openers were stranded at the same end and next ball fellow opener Xavier Marshall drove a simple catch to mid-off.
After tea, Morton shouldered arms to an inswinger from Vaas to be bowled and then Chanderpaul, West Indies senior batsman after a sponsorship dispute led to 10 players not signing tour contracts, shuffled across his stumps to be trapped lbw.
West Indies were left reeling on 27-4 but Joseph and Deonarine halted the slide with a stubborn 48-run stand in 112 balls before Vaas had Joseph caught at slip just before the close.
Scorecard
Sri Lanka (1st innings):
M. Atapattu b Best 17
S. Jayasuriya c Ramdin b D. Powell 2
K. Sangakkara c Morton b D. Powell 6
M. Jayawardene c Morton b Best 6
T. Samaraweera c Deonarine b Banks 37
T. Dilshan run out 36
C. Vaas c Ramdass b Best 6
G. Wijekoon c Ramdass b D. Powell 14R. Herath c Ramdin b D. Powell 1
M. Muralitharan not out 18
L. Malinga c Ramdin b D. Powell 0
Extras: (lb-6, nb-1) 7
Total: (all out, 46.1 overs) 150
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-17, 3-35, 4-42, 5-98, 6-107, 7-127, 8-130, 9-143.
Bowling: D. Powell 13.1-3-25-5, Lawson 10-0-29-0, Best 10-1-50-3 (nb-1), Banks 13-1-40-1.
West Indies (1st innings):
X. Marshall c Atapattu b Vaas 4
R. Ramdass run out 3
R. Morton b Vaas 1
S. Chanderpaul lbw b Vaas 13
S. Joseph c Dilshan b Vaas 18
N. Deonarine not out 36
D. Ramdin not out 8
Extras: (b-4, lb-1, nb-4) 9
Total: (for 5 wickets, 41 overs) 92
Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-9, 3-12, 4-27, 5-75
To bat: O. Banks, D. Powell, T. Best, J. Lawson
Bowling: Vaas 13-6-17-4, Malinga 9-3-22-0 (nb-3), Wijekoon 5-2-9-0(nb-1), Muralitharan 3-0-12-0, Herath 9-0-26-0, Jayasuriya 2-1-1-0.
