The result was decided by a boundary catch when Ravi Bopara attempted to clear the ropes to complete his first one-day international century.
He was well held by Ravindra Jadeja in the deep for 96 to reduce England to 270 for eight from 48.5 overs in reply to India’s 280 for five.
The teams left the field immediately afterwards with no more play possible and Bopara’s dismissal meant the teams were tied on the Duckworth/Lewis method for deciding rain-reduced matches.
England still took a 2-0 in the five-match series after the first game was rained out.
They meet for the final time in Cardiff next Friday with India yet to record a single international win in the English summer after they were whitewashed 4-0 in the test series.
“We got ourselves into a great situation but I think a tie was fair result,” England captain Alastair Cook said at the post-match presentations.
Bopara’s highest one-day score followed an innings of 40 in a winning cause at the Oval last Friday. He was dropped from the test side during the 2009 Ashes series but fought his way back this year after Jonathan Trott was injured.
Ajinkya Rahane (38) and Parthiv Patel (27) gave India a sound start, scoring 65 from 13.3 overs, with Rahane striking Steven Finn for six followed by two consecutive boundaries.
Both fell to Stuart Broad in consecutive overs and the introduction of Graeme Swann was even more successful.
In his opening over, the off-spinner had Virat Kohli caught behind for 16 and Rahul Dravid followed three balls later, caught and bowled for 19.
India were in trouble at 110 for four in the 26th over but captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (78 not out), as he had at the Oval, played with a sensible mixture of defense and measured aggression in combination with Suresh Raina (84 not out) to turn the innings around.
Raina top-edged a deliberate four and swiped Anderson into the crowd over mid-wicket to bring up his half-century and the pair were still together when Broad started the final over of the innings.
Dhoni pulled the first delivery for six over mid-wicket and the bowler pulled up in pain after his second, clutching his right tricep. He left the field and Finn bowled the remaining four balls, dismissing Raina to capture his only wicket of the innings.
Craig Kieswetter and Alastair Cook both gifted their wickets within the first six overs when England began their reply.
Kieswetter on 12 gave himself room to belt RP Singh over the inner circle but skied the ball and was caught by Jadeja at extra-cover. Cook perished for the same score in similar fashion.
Ian Bell eschewed risk in a composed innings of 54 with only three boundaries, adding 98 from 121 balls with Bopara. Bopara also took no chances, picking up singles and playing one delicate sweep to the fine-leg boundary.
He continued to manipulate the ball skilfully both sides of the pitch, losing Ben Stokes for seven and Tim Bresnan for a belligerent 27.
Swann, promoted in place of the injured Broad, played the aggressor’s role, clumping from 31 in a partnership of 50 when he was run out by a direct hit by bowler Munaf Patel, followed immediately by Bopara’s dismissal.
