Top order batsmen Almas Shaukat (88), Umang Sharma (73) and Suresh Raina (52 not out) scored half-centuries after they were asked to take the first strike by Tamil Nadu skipper Abhinav Mukund.
At the draw of stumps, Raina and Saurabh Kumar (9 off 11) were at the crease at the Green Park Stadium.
Aswin Crist (1/75), Kaushik J (1/31), M Mohammed (1/59) and Vijay Shankar (1/53) picked one wicket each.
Shaukat then joined hands with Sharma and added 111 runs for the second wicket before he was dismissed by Vijay Shankar with Karthik once again taking the catch in the 66th over.
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Sharma and Raina then added 59 runs before the former was sent back to the hut by Kaushik J with Karthik doing the needful.
Raina and Akshdeep Nath (19) then tried to build up a partnership but the latter was removed by M Mohammed with R Prasanna taking the catch.
Uttar Pradesh 1st innings: 277/4 in 87 overs (Almas Shaukat 88; Kaushik J 1/35).