Suresh Raina scored 123 to help Uttar Pradesh post 352 for 7 at close on the second day of the four-day Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match against Punjab at the PCA stadium in Mohali on Saturday.
The visitors trail by 29 runs, with three first innings wickets in hand. Punjab had scored 381.
Raina, with 19 hits to the fence and two sixes, stabilised the Uttar Pradesh innings after they were reduced to 91 for 3. They lost the wickets of Shivakant Shukla (25), Tanmay Shrivastava (4) and Rohit Prakash Srivastava (40) early, all three dismissed by VRV Singh, who ended the day with figures of five for 102.
Raina was involved in a 153-run fourth wicket partnership with skipper Mohd Kaif, who scored 66 with the help of eight fours before being lbw to Singh.
Ravikant Shukla (1) did not provide any support, while Amir Khan (16) and Raina added 38 for the sixth wicket before Khan returned to the pavilion when the score read 294.
Raina was out after the addition of another 30 runs, caught and bowled by Birinder Singh.
Piyush Chawla (30) and Praveen Kumar (20) were at the crease at close.
Earlier, resuming at the overnight score of 324 for seven, the hosts lost the wickets of overnight batsmen Uday Kaul (162), Charanjit Singh (40) and Birinder Singh (19) for the addition of 57 runs. Charanjit Singh was caught by Mohd Kaif off Sudeep Tyagi when the total was 343.
Kaul could add only 11 to his overnight score of 151 before being caught by Amir Khan off Abid Khan when the total was 347.
The last pair of Birinder Singh and V R V Singh (11 not out) added 34 runs before Birinder was out to Piyush Chawla.
Praveen Kumar (4 for 60) and Sudeep Tyagi (3 for 107) were the main wicket takers for the visitors.
Punjab (1st innings):
R Ricky b Tyagi 3
K Goel c Amir Khan b Kumar 2
S Sohal c Raina b Tyagi 8
P Dharmani lbw b Kumar 46
U Kaul c Amir Khan b Abid Khan 162
R Inder c Amir Khan b Kumar 45
A Kakkar c Kaif b Chawla 3
M Gony lbw b Kumar 8
C Singh c Kaif b Tyagi 40
B Singh b Piyush Chawla 19
VRV Singh not out 11
Extras: (b-22, lb-7, w-1, nb-4) 34
Total: (105 overs) 381
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-11, 3-17, 4-103, 5-224, 6-229, 7-240, 8-343,9-347, 10-381
Bowling: Praveen Kumar 25.2-6-60-4, Shivakant Tyagi 30.4-5-107-3, M Abid Khan 26-4-96-1, Ravikant Shukla 2-0-5-0, Piyush Chawla 21-2-84-2
Uttar Pradesh (1st innings):
R P Srivastava c Kaul b Singh 40
S Shukla c Dharmani b Singh 25
T Srivastava c Goel b Singh 4
Mohd Kaif lbw b Singh 66
S Raina c & b Birinder 123
R Shukla c Dharmani b Singh 1
A Khan c Kaul b Gony 16
P Chawla batting 30
P Kumar batting 20
Extras: (B-11, LB-6, W-3, NB-7) 27
Total: (for 7 wickets) 352
Fall of wickets: 1-61, 2-67, 3-91, 4-244, 5-256, 6-294, 7-324
Bowling: VRV Singh 19-2-102-5, B Singh 0-1-54-1, M Gony 4-2-65-1, A Kakkar 3-0-29-0, C Singh 14-1-54-0, K Goel 6-0-31-0.
