Gujarat require 209 more runs with nine wickets in hand to avoid the ignominy of an innings defeat afteer scoring 86 for one at close of play on the third day of the Ranji Trophy Super League tie match against Punjab at the PCA Stadium.
After the fall of opener Akash Christian's (16) wicket at 18, fellow opener Nilesh Modi and Timil Patel held the fort and took the total to 86 without any further loss with an unbroken 68-run partnership for the second wicket.
Nilesh was batting on 34 with two fours while giving him company was Timil on 33 with two fours.
Earlier, Punjab declared their first innings at 508 for nine.
This was the highest total against Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy. It was for the 21st time that Punjab had scored more than 500 runs in an innings.
The hosts resumed their first innings on Sunday at the overnight score of 321 for two with Ravneet Ricky (142) and Gourav Gupta (32).
With the addition of just 13 runs, Punjab lost Ricky, who could add only two runs to his overnight score before he was bowled by Ashraf Makada (1 for 92).
The highlight of Punjab's innings on the third day was an unbeaten century by Gupta, who went on to compile 121. His superb knock was studded with 11 sweetly-timed boundaries.
Gupta recorded his 10th century in the National Championship.
With the fall of Rajesh Sharma's (run out, 1) wicket at 503-9, Punjab declared their first innings 32 minutes before tea interval.
Scorecard
Gujarat (Ist innings) 208
Punjab (1st innings):
R Ricky b Makda 144
K Goel c Modi b Majmudar 95
Manish Sharma c Amit Singh b Majmudar 30
G Gupta not out 121
P Dharmani b Majmudar 11
Uday Kaul run out (sub SG Patel) 18
Reetinder Sodhi c Majmudar b Timil Patel 7
Ishan Malhotra c Majmudar b Timil Patel 29
Gagandeep Singh c (sub SG Patel) b Niraj Patel 21
Rajesh Sharma run out (Hemal Watekar) 1
Extras (lb 5, nb 21) 26
Total (for 9 wickets decl; 156.3 overs) 503
Fall of wickets:1-179, 2-248, 3-334, 4-357, 5-404, 6-412, 7-456, 8-500, 9-503.
Bowling: Ashraf Makda 34-4-92-1, Hitesh Majmudar 27-2-105-3, Amit Singh 34-6-99-0, Kirat Damani 16-2-48-0, Timil Patel 30.3-3-110-2, Hemal Watekar 11-0-34-0, Niraj Patel 4-0-10-1
Gujarat (2nd innings)
Nilesh Modi batting 34
Akash Christian lbw Gagandeep 16
Timil Patel batting 33
Extras (nb 1 b 1 lb 1) 3
Total (for one wicket in 32 overs) 86
Fall of wicket: 1-18
Bowling: Love Ablash 11-2-22-0, Gagandeep Singh 9-1-32-1, Rajesh Sharma 7-0-13-0, Ishan Malhotra 3-0-7-0, Karan Goel 2-0-10-0.