MARTYN MOXON is confident Keaton Jennings will enjoy a successful start to his Test career after being impressed with the Durham opener whilst working with him in Dubai recently.

Yorkshire’s director of cricket Moxon, also a former coach at Durham, has been part of the England Lions coaching staff in the UAE, where Jennings was before last week’s call-up to the senior squad as an injury replacement for Haseeb Hameed.

Jennings, 24, will open the batting with Alastair Cook in Mumbai in today’s fourth Test, with Moxon admitting he could not be ignored after topping 1,500 County Championship runs last summer.

“Given the injury to Hameed, he’s the obvious choice,” said Moxon, who was only with the Lions briefly to assist head coach Andy Flower.

“He had a fantastic season with Durham, and he was very impressive in that Lions camp. All the coaches were speaking very highly of him.

“He’s in a good place to start his international career.

“His maturity impressed me. His work ethic, maturity, coach-ability and he’s open to ideas. He has an excellent work ethic, but all of them have to be fair. That goes without saying.

“They’ve been doing a lot of work on batting against spin in that camp, so he should be well prepared for what he’s going to be facing.

“A big strength of his is the value he puts on his wicket. That’s a bit like Hameed. Once he gets in, he wants to go big. They don’t give it away lightly.

“Keaton’s powers of concentration enable him to bat for a long time.”

Jennings’ game has evolved markedly over the last 12 months, enabling him to impose himself on bowling attacks and post seven Championship hundreds, including an unbeaten 221 against the White Rose in June.

“That comes with confidence,” said Moxon. “That you’re perhaps not striving for your place in the team quite as much.

“Hopefully, every player’s game develops over time.

“He’s got that ability now that if a bowler misses his line and length, he will punish you.”

Prior to linking up with England’s senior squad, Jennings scored an unbeaten 101 for the Lions in a one-day game against the UAE in Dubai last Thursday.