Bangladesh in pole position against Sri Lanka after gritty fightback in 1st test

GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Bangladesh held the upper hand at the end of Day 4 of the series-opening cricket test against Sri Lanka, reaching 177-3 in their second innings to lead by 187 runs Friday.

With seven wickets in the hutch and the pitch beginning to show signs of wear and tear, the tourists will fancy their chances of pulling off a rare test victory overseas and pocketing some precious World Test Championship points in the process.

Having eked out a slender first-innings lead of 10 runs, Bangladesh batted with the sort of positive intent that suggests they were not content to merely survive.

Shadman Islam set the tone, first putting on 24 for the opening wicket with Anamul Haque and then 36 more with Mominul Haque. But it was his third-wicket partnership — a sturdy 68-run stand with captain Najmul Hossain Shanto — that truly swung momentum Bangladesh’s way.

Shadman’s knock of 76 was fashioned with composure and clarity, the left-hander repelling spin and pace alike with soft hands and a watchful eye. He looked set for three figures before Milan Rathnayake trapped him in front, but by then the groundwork had been laid.

In strode the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim and together with his skipper — both centurions in the first innings — the pair steadied the ship and nudged the lead beyond 150, blunting Sri Lanka’s hopes of a late-evening flurry.

Earlier in the day, it was off-spinner Nayeem Hasan who turned the tide for the tourists in Sri Lanka’s first innings.

With the hosts perched on a commanding 470-6 and threatening to surge ahead, Nayeem swooped in. His five-wicket haul — his fourth in test cricket — was a masterclass in flight, dip and guile, as he rattled the lower order to bowl Sri Lanka out for 485, a lead of merely 10.

The prized wicket was Kamindu Mendis, who had become something of a recurring nightmare for Bangladesh. The ambidextrous maestro was coasting on 87 — scarcely playing a false stroke — when Nayeem found extra bounce and subtle turn to kiss the outside edge, Litton Das gobbling up the catch with glee.

"My variation was the key," Nayeem said. “Main thing is I tried to bowl at one area and keep changing the seam position. When you do that over a long period of time, your discipline pays off. ... Depending on the batsman, I tried to vary the lines. Tried to bowl different lines to different batters and it paid off.”

Hasan Mahmud, meanwhile, proved a perfect foil, bowling with control and reverse swing under the afternoon sun, finishing with three wickets and keeping the pressure on from the other end. Together, they orchestrated a collapse of four wickets for just 15 runs — the kind of passage of play that can flip a test match on its head.

Kamindu Mendis expressed confidence looking ahead.

“Our first target is to get their wickets. Our target is also to win the game. If we can bowl them out in the first session, we can chase that down,” he said. "Whatever the score they get, we have another two sessions. We can still do this.

“Galle pitch the fourth day towards the end it will spin,” he added. “But we saw it spinning only in the first hour or so today. Later on in the day it got settled. We have to asses things with the way the wicket behaves.”

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Sri Lanka's Milan Rathnayake celebrates the wicket of Bangladesh's Shadman Islam during day four of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Bangladesh's Shadman Islam, left, and Anamul Haque run between the wickets during day four of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Bangladesh's Shadman Islam plays a shot during day four of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Bangladesh's Nayeem Hasan celebrates the wicket of Sri Lanka's Tharindu Ratnayake during day four of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Bangladesh's Nayeem Hasan acknowledges after taking five Sri Lankan wickets during day four of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Bangladesh's Hasan Mahmud celebrates the wicket of Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis during day four of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim stands in the field during day four of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis, right, and Milan Rathnayake run between the wickets during day four of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis plays a shot during day four of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis celebrates his fifty runs during day four of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)