England were backed to win next year's Ashes after Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow helped them complete record run chase against India...
Bettors backed England to win next year's Ashes series after they completed an historic run chase to beat India at Egbaston.
Ben Stokes' men are 11/10 to triumph over Australia next year as England's extraordinary upturn in fortunes continued.
Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root were heroic at the crease, both hitting unbeaten centuries, as England pulled off an extraordinary series-levelling victory by seven wickets.
Bairstow scored 114 not out, to follow his first innings 106, and the odds on him winning BBC Sports Personality of the Year tumbled from 50/1 to 20/1.
Nobody is ruling out Australia in next year's series - they are 5/4 - but England are in a much better position than they were just two months ago.
They beat New Zealand with a Test series white wash and the mood in the camp, under new captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, is fizzing as 2022 turns out to be an unexpectedly spectacular summer.

Next up they begin their three match T20 series against India on Thursday - England's first under new white ball skipper Jos Buttler and favourites to start with a win.
Next month, they will play a three-Test series against South Africa, starting at Lord's on 17 August.