A nerve-wracking match ended as a tie and India's search for that elusive victory over England continues unabated.

A packed Lord's witnessed a heart-breaking moment for India after its 280 for five stretched England in the fourth game of the NatWest Series before a largely sunny day turned damp and three rain-interruptions tweaked in a stalemate.

England scored 270 for eight in 48.5 overs and that was exactly the par score the Duckworth-Lewis method stipulated.

If England had managed another run or Ravi Bopara had blocked one ball, the match would have been in Alastair Cook's pocket.

High on drama
However, in a contest high on drama, it was fitting that Bopara (96, 111b, 6x4) who played a lone hand in reviving the host, picked a leaping Ravindra Jadeja in the deep while Munaf Patel flung his hands skywards.
The rain immediately arrived again and snuffed out the match when India would have fancied its chances as England needed 11 from the remaining seven balls.

India's latest match at Lord's may not have had the extraordinary depth of June, 1983, when Kapil Dev lifted the World Cup or the rebellious streak of a shirtless Sourav Ganguly in 2002, and yet it will haunt the ‘Men in Blue' for a while. England has now clinched the series after winning the earlier two games and the last game at Cardiff on Friday offers India a last chance to sign off with a victory.

Ebullient partnership
The visitor scored 280 for six in 50 overs and it was a total that was made possible by M.S. Dhoni and Suresh Raina's ebullient partnership. England needed a start but, with Alastair Cook, Craig Kieswetter and Jonathan Trott's early departures to the joy of R.P. Singh and Praveen Kumar, the chase proved tough though Bopara stayed firm.

Bopara and Ian Bell (54) stemmed the rising tide of Indian optimism with a 98-run fourth-wicket partnership. Bell stayed correct and Bopara cheekily opened the bat's face to guide a few behind square and England stayed in the hunt.

Inexplicably Bell charged at Jadeja and Manoj Tiwary, substituting for an injured Parthiv Patel, plucked the catch.

Ben Stokes then patted one back to R. Ashwin and, at 184 for five, England needed its tail to wag.
And wag it did through Tim Bresnan and Graeme Swann before the rain forced the teams to play a cat-and-mouse game with the Duckworth-Lewis equation.

In the end, the rivals nursed a result identical to that World Cup game at Bangalore when the score froze at 338.

Openers on song
Earlier, openers on song offered Dhoni an easy morning to savour his tea though Alastair Cook's luck with the toss continued.

Parthiv and Ajinkya Rahane gradually blossomed in their 65-run partnership as initial respect for James Anderson and Steven Finn transformed to disdain.

Patel and Rahane's dismissals in a span of 12 deliveries pegged India back and, against the run of play, Graeme Swann scalped Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid in his first over.

At 110 for four, and with only Ravindra Jadeja to fall back on after them, Raina and Dhoni opted to consolidate while Swann bowled tight.

Raina (84, 75b, 7x4, 2x6) had to contend with three men on the fence for his whiplash pulls and there were three men close on the off-side to cut his dabs.

India's first 100 had come in 131 deliveries but its next 50 came in 92 balls.

The innings gained impetus when Raina thumped Finn twice, either side of the wicket and Dhoni (78 n.o., 71b, 6x4, 3x6) hoisted Swann's tossed up enticer into the stands.

The 169-run fifth-wicket partnership spread over 147 balls acquired an ominous air and promptly India's next fifty came in 37 deliveries and the innings' last ten overs yielded 109 runs.
But a triumph continued to elude the desperate squad.

Scoreboad
India: Parthiv c Bopara b Broad 27 (32b, 3x4, 1x6), A. Rahane lbw b Broad 38 (53b, 5x4, 1x6), R. Dravid c&b Swann 19 (33b, 3x4), V. Kohli c Kieswetter b Swann 16 (36b, 1x4), S. Raina c Stokes b Finn 84 (75b, 7x4, 2x6), M.S. Dhoni (not out) 78 (71b, 6x4, 3x6), R. Jadeja (not out) 0 (0b), Extras (lb-5, w-13) 18; Total (for five wkts. in 50 overs) 280.

Power Plays: One (Overs 1-10): 38/0; Bowling (11-15): 32/1; Batting (43-47): 58/0.

Fall of wickets: 1-65 (Rahane), 2-70 (Parthiv), 3-109 (Kohli), 4-110 (Dravid), 5-279 (Raina).

England bowling: Anderson 10-2-57-0, Finn 9.4-0-54-1, Bresnan 10-1-51-0, Broad 9.2-0-52-2, Bopara 2-0-12-0, Swann 9-1-49-2.

England: A. Cook c Kohli b R.P. Singh 12 (18b, 2x4), C. Kieswetter c Jadeja b R.P. Singh 12 (9b, 1x4), J. Trott b Praveen 23 (27b, 4x4), I. Bell c sub b Jadeja 54 (73b, 3x4), R. Bopara c Jadeja b Munaf 96 (111b, 6x4), B. Stokes c&b Ashwin 7 (11b, 1x4), T. Bresnan b R.P. Singh 27 (22b, 2x4), G. Swann run out 31 (23b, 3x4), S. Finn (not out) 0 (0b), J. Anderson (not out) 0 (0b), Extras (lb-5, w-2, nb-1) 8; Total (for eight wkts. in 48.5 overs) 270.

Power Plays: One (Overs 1–10): 50/2; Bowling (11-15): 20/1; Batting (45– 48.5): 37/2.

Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Kieswetter), 2-27 (Cook), 3-61 (Trott), 4-159 (Bell), 5-173 (Stokes), 6-220 (Bresnan), 7-270 (Swann), 8-270 (Bopara).

India bowling: Praveen 9-0-35-1, R.P. Singh 9-0-59-3, Munaf 9.5-0-54-1, Ashwin 10-0-44-1, Jadeja 9-0-60-1, Raina 2-0-13-0.

Players of the Match: Ravi Bopara & Suresh Raina