Andhra Pradesh were 292 for nine while following-on with their first innings folded at 208 at stumps on the penultimate day of the four-day Ranji Trophy Elite Group-B match in Ananathpur on Thursday.
Andhra, forced to follow-on, saved the ignominy of innings defeat when all-rounders Shahabuddin and A Varma slammed Uttar Pradesh bowlers all over the ground to add 114 runs for the seventh wicket, after the team got off to a disastrous start in the second innings as well.
They now have an overall lead of 135 runs with one wicket in hand.
Shahabudin however was unlucky for not converting his big knock into century. He was out leg before to Shamshad after making 84 runs off 89 balls, studded with 15 hits to the fence.
Varma, in his elegant knock of 58 faced 106 balls, hit nine fours and one six.
The hosts resumed their first innings earlier in the day on 155 for six. Uttar Pradesh bowlers snapped up remaining four wickets at regular intervals to enforce the follow on.
Right arm medium pacer P Kumar was the successful bowler with five wickets and leg-spinner Piyush Chawla took three wickets.
Overnight batsman Shahabuddin was first to go after adding just two runs. Another overnight batsman Gnaneshwar Rao followed him immiediately giving his wicket to the same bowler after four overs. Barring Faiq tailenders did not stay at the wicket to thwart the danger of follow-on.
Scorecard
Uttar Pradesh 1st innings 365
Andhra 1st innings
MSK Prasad c Kaif b Kumar 19
L Reddy c Amir Khan b Srivastava 13
B Singh st Amir Khan b Piyush Chawla 38
Y Venugopal Rao c Piyush Chawla b AW Zaidi 28
A Rayudu c Pandey b Kumar 20
Y Gnaneswara Rao c Shukla b Kumar 24
A Varma c Amir Khan b Kumar 7
K Sahabuddin c Piyush Chawla b Kumar 9
M Faiq not out 22
D Kalyankrishna c Kaif b Piyush Chawla 13
I Raju c Kaif b Piyush Chawla 0
Extras (lb 4, w 2, nb 9) 15
Total (all out, 69.1 overs) 208
Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-53, 3-93, 4-118, 5-127, 6-135, 7-158, 8-174, 9-198, 10-208
Bowling: AW Zaidi 21 8 46 1 (1nb), Srivastava 15 2 42 1, Kumar 21 2 73 5 (8nb, 2w), Piyush Chawla 12.1 2 43 3
Andhra 2nd innings (following on)
MSK Prasad c Piyush Chawla b AW Zaidi 10
L Reddy c Srivastava b Kumar 13
Y Gnaneswara Rao lbw b AW Zaidi 0
A Rayudu c Amir Khan b Srivastava 49
Y Venugopal Rao c Amir Khan b Kumar 8
B Singh run out (Shamshad) 1
K Sahabuddin lbw b Shamshad 84
A Varma c Amir Khan b Kumar 58
M Faiq c Amir Khan b Kumar 26
D Kalyankrishna not out 28
I Raju not out 3
Extras (lb 1, w 1, nb 10) 12
Total (9 wickets, 70 overs) 292
Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-10, 3-53, 4-61, 5-72, 6-96, 7-210, 8-258, 9-275
Bowling: AW Zaidi 18 3 59 2, Srivastava 13 4 51 1, Kumar 20 3 81 4 (10nb, 1w), Piyush Chawla 13 0 67 0, Shamshad 6 2 33 1