MS Dhoni's tourists made light work of claiming a six-wicket victory at Trent Bridge on Saturday, after winning the toss and limiting England to a modest total of 227 all out.
England had been undermined by slow bowlers en route to a heavy defeat in Cardiff on Wednesday and once again appeared ill at ease against the turning ball as they slipped 2-0 down with two matches - at Edgbaston and Headingley - to play.
Six of the hosts' top seven were ousted by spinners, with Ian Bell the exception when he was run out for 28, and India duly overhauled their opponents' score with seven overs to spare as Ambati Rayudu marked his recall with 64 not out from 78 balls.
Rayudu, who replaced the injured Rohit Sharma, augmented useful contributions from Ajinkya Rahane (45), Virat Kohli (40) and Suresh Raina (42).
England had looked set to post a healthy total when Alastair Cook (44) and Alex Hales (42) put on 82 for the first wicket, but an all-too-familiar collapse followed as Ravichandran Ashwin (3-39) followed up breakthroughs from the less-heralded spinners in India's line-up.
Hales fell on the sweep for the second match in succession, top-edging an off-break from Suresh Raina, while Cook became a first international scalp for part-time bowler Rayudu.
Joe Root (2) lasted just seven balls before being stumped off Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin accounted for both Eoin Morgan (10) and Ben Stokes (2) either side of Bell being run out by Mohit Sharma's direct hit from the deep.
England at least made it beyond 200, thanks largely to 42 from Jos Buttler - Ashwin's third victim - and an 18-ball 30 from number nine James Tredwell.
However, their score never appeared likely to pose too many problems for India.
Shikhar Dhawan's poor tour continued as he was caught at point off Chris Woakes for 16 in the eighth over of the reply.
Yet India soon seized control, Rahane and Kohli sharing 50 before Rayudu and Raina prospered in a decisive fourth-wicket stand of 87.
Rahane, Kohli and Raina all failed to bring up half-centuries, the former becoming a sole victim for recalled England paceman Steven Finn, but Rayudu held firm to guide his side home alongside Jadeja (12 not out).