Coming off a mediocre outing thanks to their injudicious shot selection in the testing conditions at Lord’s, India will have their task cut out when they face a rejuvenated England in the series-deciding third Women’s ODI here on Tuesday.

Visiting India produced a fine display with the bat to win the first match by four wickets, but came a cropper in a rain-curtailed game in the British capital on Saturday to leave the three-match series evenly poised at 1-1 heading into the final ODI. The series holds significance for both teams as the World Cup is scheduled to start in two months’s time. 

India came into the second game with their nose ahead and were expected to grab the series due to their all-round strength and form of some big players. However, poor shot selection and an inability to adapt to the conditions spoiled their plans as they struggled to 143-8 batting first in a 29-overs-a-side contest. The bowlers, too, failed as England’s top-order batters completed an easy chase with eight overs to spare.