It was a well laid out England plan which the Indian team was trapped into. The greenish tinge on the surface was a mere cover-up. Underneath the Lord's pitch, it was bone dry and with hot sun beating down on it, it was bound to help the spinners as the game progressed.

The England think-tank knew that regardless of winning or losing the toss in the second ODI, they would be batting first, as India's preferred choice is to chase down a target.