Younus, in his first Test since being installed as captain last month, hit an unbeaten 149 as Pakistan inched closer to avoiding the follow-on.
Younus shared in a 149-run stand for the third wicket with Shoaib Malik, which was ended when the latter was run out for 56.
At stumps, Pakistan had progressed to 296 for three, still 348 runs behind on the first innings count, but with light at the end of the tunnel in sight.
Misbah-ul-Haq joined Younus at the fall of Malik's wicket and was on 20 when stumps were drawn.
Captain Courageous
Rather than send in a nightwatchman, Younus had signalled his intentions by walking out to bat when Salman Butt's wicket went down at the end of play yesterday.
He bound Pakistan's innings together with a safety-first approach at the start, although Sri Lanka had their chances against him early in his innings.
He survived a good shout for leg before off Ajantha Mendis, but thereafter batted cautiously. He reached his half-century with a risky single and began to exert a little more authority, mixing delectable drives with risky reverse sweep shots.
He steadily chipped away at the deficit, all the while getting closer to a personal century.
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