Chandimal was unbeaten on 60 after coming to the crease when Pathum Nissanka was caught behind for one from the last ball of New Zealand captain Tim Southee’s first over.
Dimuth Karunaratne was unbeaten on 40 at the other end in a 100-run second wicket partnership with Chandimal.
Both men were batting with confidence days after their match-defining 147-run stand in the opening Test, played at the same venue.
Chandimal was aggressive from the outset, capitalising on loose deliveries and hitting nine boundaries as New Zealand missed two chances to break the partnership.
The left-handed opener was dropped on five by Darryl Mitchell in the fourth over, while wicketkeeper Tom Blundell missed a chance to stump Karunaratne on 17 off the spin of Ajaz Patel.
Sri Lanka won the opening match of the two-Test series by 63 runs. New Zealand have not won any of their five previous Tests at Galle.
New Zealand players wore black armbands to honour the late Ian Taylor, who was the manager of the Black Caps from 1980 to 1990.
AFP
