Defending champions Uttar Pradesh earned two points on account of their first innings lead as their Ranji Trophy Super League match against Saurashtra ended in a draw in Kanpur on Sunday.
Saurashtra veteran Sitanshu Kotak scored an unbeaten century (118) off 268 balls and thwarted the defending champions' plan of starting their campaign on winning note.
After trailing by 108 runs in the first innings, Saurashtra were 272 for 6 in their second innings when the match was called off 24 minutes after tea.
Saurashtra started their innings at 77 for two. Kotak and Cheteshwar Pujara (71) played with responsibility, making the UP bowlers sweat for their wickets.
Kotak's century came in 392 minutes, with the help of 10 boundaries. He dropped the anchor at one end and foiled every attempt of the hosts to force victory.
As Kotak played with patience, Pujara got into the attacking mode and plundered 13 boundaries in his 104-ball stay to take the sail out of UP's attack. The hosts tasted success when leggie Piyush Chawla rattled Pujara's stumps.
The duo added a crucial 102 runs for the third wicket.
Saurashtra then got a jolt when first inning's hero Jaydev Shah was caught by Tahir Abbas off Salabh Srivastava for just five as the visitors went into lunch at 177 for 4.
Pratik Mehta contributed a vital 42 runs and added 84 runs for the fifth wicket with Kotak. Pratik was then trapped by Shivakant.
Thereafter Chawla claimed Rakesh Dhrove (9).
Kotak was firm at the other end and completed his hundred.
Scorecard
Saurashtra (1st innings): 342
Uttar Pradesh (1st innings): 450
Saurashtra (2nd innings):
K Vaghela lbw b Singh 1
S Jogiyani c Shamshad b Singh 11
S Kotak not out 118
C Pujara b Piyush Chawla 71
J Shah c Tahir Abbas b Srivastava 5
P Mehta lbw b Shukla 42
R Dhurv lbw b Piyush Chawla 9
K Makvana not out 3
Extras: (b 1, lb 1, w 5, nb 5) 12
Total: (6 wickets; 99 overs; 416 mins) 272
Did not bat: S Jobanputra, N Doshi, SM Maniar
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-33, 3-135, 4-142, 5-226, 6-237.
Bowling: S Srivastava 17-2-47-1, R Singh 19-3-52-2, P Kumar 13-2-34-0, Piyush Chawla 31-5-86-2, S Shukla 14-3-39-1, Tahir Abbas 3-0-11-0, Ravikant Shukla 2-1-1-0.
