Adam Zampa proved a thorn in England's side again as Australia restricted the world champions to 231-9 in the second one-day international at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The leg-spinner took 3-36 from a maximum 10 overs to follow his 4-55 during Australia's 19-run win in Friday's first of a three-match series.
England captain Eoin Morgan top-scored with 42 but could not prevent his side slumping to 149-8 in the 41st over.
But a ninth-wicket partnership of 76 between the recalled Tom Curran (37) and Adil Rashid (35 not out) kept England in the game.
Rashid pulled fast bowler Pat Cummins for six before last man Jofra Archer ended the innings with a four off Mitchell Marsh.
Morgan, having called for England to play on the kind of slow pitches they can expect when the next T20 and 50-over World Cups are staged in India, saw his top-order struggle to time the ball on a relatively sluggish track against a disciplined Australia attack after he won the toss.
If Australia, who decided against recalling Steve Smith after the star batsman missed Friday's match with a concussion injury, win they will inflict England's first defeat in a bilateral ODI series since a 2017 reverse in India.
Left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc enjoyed an early strike when he had Jonny Bairstow caught behind for a duck.
Jason Roy hit three fours in an over off fast bowler Josh Hazlewood -- an off-drive, a whip shot through square leg and a square-cut.
But his promising 21 ended when he was run out by Marcus Stoinis' direct hit from cover as Test captain Joe Root, struggling for runs, set off for a risky single.
A change of bat saw Root hit two fours off Cummins and his pulled six off Stoinis brought up a fifty partnership with Morgan.
Zampa, however, struck third ball when Root edged a well-flighted delivery to Australia captain Aaron Finch at slip to end an innings of 39 off 73 balls.
Left-hander Morgan hit fours off successive Zampa deliveries and Finch, with Jos Buttler in, recalled Cummins.
His move was vindicated when Cummins had Buttler lbw for just three.
Zampa had Morgan lbw on review to end a relatively fluent 52-ball innings and then had Sam Billings, fresh from his maiden ODI hundred on Friday, chopping on for just eight.