Sri Lanka lost three wickets in the morning sessions to slip to 125-4 before losing another two to move to 218-6 in their second innings at tea on the fourth day, leading by 54 runs after conceding a 164-run lead in the first knock.
Vice-captain Mathews was unbeaten on 44 and Prasad was 29 not out as the pair survived the second new ball which saw the departure of Kaushal Silva (eight), caught off a miscued pull by Saeed Ajmal off paceman Junaid Khan.
Mathews, who has been Sri Lanka's best batsman in the last six Tests, has so far hit four boundaries and a six during his enterprising 115-ball knock and found an able partner in Prasad to put resistance against some tight bowling.
Pakistan had dismissed Sangakkara (30) in the fourth over of the fourth day before dismissing Mahela Jayawardene (five) and skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan (three) to threaten to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.
The first Test ended in a draw at Abu Dhabi last week.
Sri Lanka, who resumed at 88-1, had been hoping for Sangakkara to stay longer and thus keep Pakistan at bay as he did in the second innings of the first Test when he scored an epic 211.
But the experienced batsman was reduced to adding just a single to his overnight score of 29 when he didn't offer a stroke to left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman's incoming delivery and although he pushed too far New Zealand umpire Tony Hill adjudged him leg-before.
Sangakkara, who didn't hit a single boundary, walked back in disgust. He added 73 for the second wicket with Tharanga.
Mahela Jayawardene then missed a sweep off spinner Saeed Ajmal and was bowled and Dilshan's horrible form in the series continued when was trapped leg-before by paceman Junaid Khan three runs later.
Paranavitana, though, remained composed and reached his ninth half-century with a square driven boundary off Umar Gul. He fell soon after lunch, caught off a sharp turning delivery from Ajmal in the slip.
He hit four boundaries during his fighting knock. (AFP)
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