Overnight 221 for five, Uttar Pradesh folded for 362 with skipper Mohammad Kaif top-scoring with a patient 176-ball 58.Praveen Kumar's 62-ball 43, including a couple of fours and three sixes, was the other useful contribution down the order which propped up Uttar Pradesh's score.
In reply, Punjab were 127 for four in their second innings, wiping out the first innings deficit to take a 53-run lead at the draw of stumps.
But it is Uttar Pradesh which has a chance of forcing a result in the match as the home team has already sent Punjab's top-order back to the pavilion.
Wicketkeeper Uday Kaul (47) and Pankaj Dharmani (34) were holding fort for the visiting side, which would look to bat through the day tomorrow.Punjab, in fact, were in a precarious position today after Sarun Kanwar (1), Ravi Inder Singh (5), Karan Goel (10) and Yuvraj Singh (24) fell early in the innings.
But Kaul and Dharmani steadied the ship and the onus now rests on the duo to steer Punjab to safety.While Kaul had struck nine fours in his 100-ball knock so far, Dharmani managed six boundaries in the 91 balls that he has faced.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh's lower order put up a gutsy show with Praveen leading the charge. The spunky pacer combined with other lower order batsmen to frustrate Punjab's bowlers.
Brief score:
Uttar Pradesh: 362
Punjab: 288 and 127 for four in 46 overs (Uday Kaul 47 batting, Pankaj Dharmani 34 batting, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2/20).