D'Auteuil, however, received information by his spies of Clive's movement, and not wishing to fight a battle in the open, with a superior force, fell back to Utatua, while Clive returned to Samieaveram.
Law, too, had received news of Clive's movement.

Here was a chance of retrieving the misfortunes of the campaign.

Paichandah being still in his hands, he could sally out with his whole force and that of Chunda Sahib, seize Samieaveram in Clive's absence, and extend his hand to D'Auteuil, or fall upon Clive's rear.

Instead of this, he repeated the mistake he had made before Trichinopoli; and, instead of marching out with his whole force, he sent only eighty Europeans, of whom forty were deserters from the English army, and seven hundred Sepoys.
The English returned from their march against D'Auteuil.

The greater portion of the troops were housed in two temples, a quarter of a mile apart, known as the Large and Small Pagoda.