England hit trouble with the loss of four wickets for 26 runs as they tried to battle for a stalemate in the final Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings (54) calmed the tourists' nerves by guiding them through a wicketless first session against India.

But the introduction of Ravindra Jadeja (three for 38) first did for the England captain, for the sixth time in the series, and then accounted for Jennings and Joe Root too.

The India all-rounder could not stay out of the action, and for good measure then took an outstanding catch running back from midwicket to collect Jonny Bairstow's flick off Ishant Sharma and make it 129 for four - before Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes showed some much-needed composure to reach 167 without further loss at tea.

It was still far from assured, albeit on a pitch which has strongly favoured the batsmen throughout and saw India rack up a record total of 759 for seven declared before the end of day four, that England could after all summon the resolve to defy Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin for another session in pursuit of a series defeat limited to 3-0 rather than 4-0.

Cook, whose future as Test captain is the subject of significant and ever-growing debate as England near the end of this arduous series, had it in his own hands at the start of play to achieve a successful rearguard.

He had an early escape on four in the third over of the morning as England resumed on 12 without loss - still 270 runs in arrears - when he edged an Ashwin off-break behind on the front-foot defence only for Parthiv Patel to put down the routine chance.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra almost took a wicket in his first over when Jennings advanced on 31 and middled the ball to short-leg where KL Rahul very nearly hung on to an instinctive half-chance.

Alastair Cook fell one short of his half century (AP)

Instead, as both left-handed openers defended without alarm and swept effectively - in Jennings' case reverse-swept too - England made it to lunch on 97 without loss.

Cook, however, could last until only the third over of the afternoon before Jadeja got him yet again - this time caught at leg-slip, one short of his 50 - to break the opening stand on 103.

Jennings completed his 117-ball 50 but went in an embarrassing anti-climax, up the pitch again and contriving as he tried to bail out into block-defence to poke an unmissable catch straight back to Jadeja.

Root then managed only six of the 11 runs he needed to break Michael Vaughan's all-time English record of 1481 runs in a calendar year, missing a sweep at Jadeja to be lbw after India called a successful review.