LUCKNOW, Dec. 27 -- It seems almost an end of the road for former champions Uttar Pradesh in the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy as on Friday, opponents Rajastha took a solid 272-run first innings lead on the penultimate day of their four-day pre-quarterfinal match, at the Solitaire Cricket Ground in Saharanpur. It was a poor show by Uttar Pradesh bowlers after their batters could post 178 in the first innings as Rajasthan after resuming at the overnight score of 2/50 on Friday, finished the day at 450/6 in 100 overs with two batters Rajat Baghel and Naved Khan striking fine centuries. Uttar Pradesh used as many as seven bowlers, but barring Aditya Kumar Singh, Aayan Khan and Bhavi Sharma, no one could impress Rajasthan batters. Singh took 3/88, Akram bagged 2/127 and Sharma claimed 1/49. Much was expected from Uttar Pradesh bowlers on Friday morning, and within the next 50 runs, they managed two more wickets of Rajasthan to leave the scoreboard reading 4/100. But thereafter, Baghel and Khan took the Uttar Pradesh bowlers to the sword, hitting powerful boundaries and sixes at ease. The two added 188 runs for the fifth wicket before Baghel was stumped by Yuvraj off Bhavi Sharma after scoring 171, which came off 200 balls with the help of 19 boundaries and nine sixes. Even the departure of Baghel made no difference to Khan, who went on adding an unbeaten 152 runs for the seventh wicket with Kushagra Ojha. Whereas Khan scored 190-ball 166 with the help of 16 boundaries and eight sixes, Ojha made 48 in 80 balls with the help of six boundaries. Rajasthan still have four wickets in hand, and the unbeaten batters like Khan and Ojha would love to extend the lead much beyond the reach of Uttar Pradesh when the final day game begins on Saturday....