Fortunes fluctuated in the dying minutes before rain forced the fourth cricket one-dayer between India and England to end in a dramatic tie, allowing the hosts to clinch the five-match ODI series by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead on Sunday.

Chasing a competitive target of 281, England were 270 for eight in the 49th over when the rain played spoilsport, forcing the umpires to abandon the match, much to the dismay of a capacity crowd at the Lord’s.

Play was held up twice because of brief showers, once with India leading by two runs, and on the second occasion England ahead under the Duckworth-Lewis rule.

But the quick dismissals of Graeme Swann and Ravi Bopara (96) in the penultimate over, just before the second interruption, ensured India managed to tie the game.

This is the second time an ODI match between the two sides have ended in a tie in recent times after the World Cup encounter in Bangalore earlier in February.

England were served well by Bopara who scored his runs off 111 balls and struck six boundaries, but his dismissal in the penultimate over deprived them of a win.

Bopara bent down on his knees to sweep Munaf Patel but could not clear Ravidra Jadeja at deep midwicket as a brave innings came to an end.

A delivery before Bopara’s dismissal, Munaf ran out Swann as the Indians broke into celebrations, but rain had the final say.

While there is still a match to go, the hosts have pocketed the series as they have won the last two one-dayers after the first match was abandoned.