Jennings to the rescue for England and Durham?

It's all over bar a bit of shouting and lots of mopping-up afterwards, according to the odds-setters at Bet365, who reckon India are 10/11 to complete a 4-0 scoreline with victory in both of the remaining Tests against England.

Mind you, it was only three Tests ago that England were actually setting the agenda in this series, having pushed India to the brink in the opening match at Rajkot, only to be muscled out of the key moments in each of the subsequent fixtures at Visakhapatnam and Mohali.

And for that reason, there is still some value in taking a stab at an England fightback in the closing stages of this series. They are a distant 20/1 to complete a 2-2 scoreline (the same odds, in fact, for back-to-back draws and a 2-0 win to India, which doesn't speak much for England's batting resilience). But India are 10/3 for a 3-1 win, and 12/1 for 2-1.

As far as the Mumbai Test goes, the individual player market is worth a look, if for no other reason than to assess the prospects of England's latest debutant, Keaton Jennings. He is 11/2 to be England's top-scorer, which will doubtless require a decent dose of beginners' luck. But he is slated to open alongside Alastair Cook (7/2), so he'll certainly get plenty chance to spend time in the middle. And India's bowlers won't yet have had a chance to assess his strengths and weaknesses.

Clutching at straws? Almost certainly, but then there's not a lot of festive cheer to be found on England's tour of India just now. So how about taking a look towards next spring, and the resumption of the English calendar.

Jennings' county side, Durham, are a distant 33/1 to win the Second Division outright, following their relegation for financial issues, and they will start the campaign with a 48-point handicap as well. But, as Jennings' selection goes to show, the quality in their ranks is a cut above the usual Div Two fare. Can they overcome the odds in 2017? It might be worth a flutter.