It was thought that Sri Lanka might well be the reverse of West Indies: tourists who boast experience with the bat while potentially being light with the ball. But on a tense second day that prediction was creaking slightly, Dhananjaya de Silva’s attack having delivered a disciplined, probing display to leave this first Test delicately poised.

At stumps, as bad light and then rain brought an early close after just 57 overs of play, England had Jamie Smith to thank for ensuring nothing was settled and a lead had at least been established. Stationed at No 6 – the upshot of that hamstring injury to Ben Stokes – Smith’s unbeaten 72 had taken the hosts to 259 for six in reply to Sri Lanka’s 236 all out; 23 runs ahead but with their lengthy tail having already begun.

Related: England v Sri Lanka: first men’s Test match, day two – as it happened

Even against a softening ball these were tricky conditions for Smith to negotiate and Sri Lanka were pushing hard to exploit them. Asitha Fernando, a diminutive terrier of a seamer, was the pick, asking questions throughout for figures of three for 68. Among these was the prized wicket of Joe Root, caught well on the drive by Dinesh Chandimal for 42, to leave England 125 for four and bring about Smith’s entrance.

After missing out on a maiden Test century by just five runs three weeks ago, and going short during a spell in the Hundred since, Smith admitted his first series for England had been a draining one. But after ditching that garish Birmingham Phoenix kit and returning to whites, he pushed back with a composure that belied his inexperience. The disappointment of Edgbaston will soon be overcome and perhaps on day three.

Across stands of 62 with Harry Brook and 52 with Chris Woakes, and admittedly having got one reckless attempted scoop out of his system early on, the 24-year-old also embodied England’s more refined approach overall. The boundary count was relatively low for the so-called Bazballers – Smith struck five fours and one six in his innings, England 22 and one overall – but on a sluggish outfield a run-rate of 4.2 was still maintained. After what has been an early move up the order, he looked the part.

Smith will also be grateful not to have received the balls that did for his two partners, with Brook and Woakes suffering a pair of carbon copy dismissals by Prabath Jayasuriya. The left-arm spinner has enjoyed a rapid start to Test cricket – 71 wickets in his first 12 outings – but after performing a holding role in the main, even he looked bewildered by the beauties that pitched on leg-stump and kissed the top of off.

It was no less than Sri Lanka deserved, however, even if the star of day one, Milan Rathnayake, was the one weak link with the ball. Still, the debutant’s first-class career-best of 72 from No 9 24 hours earlier was a clutch performance; one that meant his teammates could set out with purpose once mizzling Manchester rain had relented to allow a 1.15pm start and two extended sessions.

Floodlights on, a blanket of grey cloud overhead, and with another chill wind blowing across Old Trafford, it was a far cry from coastal Katuneriya, the fishing village that Asitha hails from in northern Sri Lanka. But armed with a Dukes ball, a right-armer who has been skilled and disciplined enough to average 26 in Asia – and spent time at Nottinghamshire last summer – was in his element, reeling in Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope masterfully first thing.

Starting from the James Anderson End after gloomy light forced the spinners to take the new ball the evening before, Asitha was presenting a deliciously upright seam and soon saw a tight lbw against Dan Lawrence overturned on height. But two balls later, with a single pinched by Lawrence in between, the review system went Sri Lanka’s way when a full delivery nipped back into Duckett’s pads for 18.

It was a ball that jagged the other way that castled Pope, his first innings as England captain ending with six runs to his name and a wry smile as he trudged off. Plenty is said about Pope’s slightly frenetic starts – he notes they are always referred to as “busy” when runs follow – but few right-handers would have kept it out. At the other end Lawrence’s first outing at opener displayed both his obvious strengths and one weakness, with all but four of his 30 runs scored on the leg side and a flirtation outside off-stump causing his downfall. Vishwa Fernando, the left-armer, was the executioner, making good use of the breeze. England were suddenly 67 for three with it – 169 runs in arrears – and in need of a pushback.

Like Pat Cummins during last summer’s Ashes series, De Silva placed sweepers on both sides from the outset and so singles were available; catnip to a couple of busy players like Root and Brook as they set about constructing a stand of 58. Equally, that early nip from a surface that had been sweating under the covers was followed by periods of reverse swing. Nothing was straightforward.

It took the return of Asitha to separate the pair, snaring the big fish, Root, on the drive when a low catch was held cleanly by Chandimal behind the stumps. Although Brook ploughed on to his 16th score of 50 or more in just his 26th innings, disbelief soon followed. At least in Woakes, who chiselled out a typically nuggety 25 before suffering the same, he had someone who could empathise.