Perera was withdrawn from Sri Lanka’s ongoing tour of New Zealand after being provisionally suspended on Monday, and is now in Sri Lanka mulling his response to the ICC’s Notice of Charge.
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Tim Southee led a New Zealand triple strike early Saturday as Sri Lanka struggled to narrow the first innings gap in the first Test in Dunedin.
Kusal Mendis (8), playing his second Test, did well to keep the good balls out but failed to carry on.
Otherwise, the wickets have been well-spaced and have only come from concerted effort and sustained pressure from the bowlers and fieldsmen.
Three overs later, Udara Jayasundera (1) played a poor shot at a wide delivery from Wagner (1-53) and the keeper had no trouble taking the catch.
New Zealand pursued a tactic of bowling short at the Sri Lanka middle and lower order which both slowed the run rate and produced two catches to slip and one to the wicketkeeper.
They rebuilt, though, with a stand of 122 between Karunaratne and Chandimal. Soon, Chandimal completed a fifty of his own, getting there in 143 deliveries.
The pair had put on a useful 43 and every bit of time Sri Lanka spent at the crease was shaping as valuable for the rest of the match.
However, in the final session, Dimuth Karunaratne went for 84, attempting to cut Mitchell Santner but he could only get a bottom edge.
Doug Bracewell reached 47, his highest Test score, before he was the last wicket to fall being trapped lbw by Nuwan Pradeep.
Umpire Nigel Llong said not out but a New Zealand appeal showed the faint edge picked up by the Hotspot technology and Sri Lanka were four down for 156.
Vithanage had a life five overs before stumps when he drove Doug Bracewell hard at Kane Williamson at short cover and was dropped.
New Zealand hurried to that total Thursday and early Friday, scoring at 4.48 runs per over after losing the toss and being sent in on a green pitch.
At stumps, Sri Lanka were 197 for four with Chandimal on 83 and Kithuruwan Vithanage on 10.
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Herath had taken a series of blows on the hands from aggressive left armer Neil Wagner and a clunk on the back of his helmet from Tim Southee.
