Cricket in October 2014: Schedules and Previews for Every International Series
After a month which was more prominent for domestic cricket, the action on the international calendar will return to centre stage in October, with an array of captivating series set to get underway around the globe.
Headlining the action will be the Test encounters taking place in the UAE and India, where Australia and the West Indies will visit as they prepare to tackle Pakistan and MS Dhoni's men, respectively.
Both tours will also feature a number of limited-overs contests, marking them as the most anticipated duels in October.
Elsewhere, South Africa will head to New Zealand on the back of strong form in their recent triangular series, while Bangladesh will host Zimbabwe for Two tests as the month draws to a close.
Across the following slides, we preview each and every series on the calendar.
Pakistan vs. Australia Twenty20
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Fixtures
| Oct. 5 | Pakistan vs. Australia Only T20I | Dubai |
Preview
When Australia and Pakistan met in the group stage of the ICC World Twenty20 in March, it was made evident how ill-suited the Australians are to the T20 format on the subcontinent.
Utilising a pace-heavy attack that was in stark contrast to the spin-oriented lineups of other sides, George Bailey's men conceded 191 runs to their unpredictable opponents, before coming unstuck with the bat—aside from Glenn Maxwell, of course—as Pakistan took all the pace off the ball.
Now under the leadership of Aaron Finch, Australia need to show they can adapt to the rapidly evolving format.
Newer faces such as Cameron Boyce, Kane Richardson, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Marsh and Pat Cummins have given Australia's squad a different look, but there's still a sense that the touring party is ill-equipped for the nature of Twenty20 cricket in Asian conditions.
However, Pakistan's vastly changed side, that may take time to gel, could afford the tourists a life, given that the hosts will be without the experience of Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik and Umar Gul, levelling the balance of the contest.
Pakistan vs. Australia ODI Series
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Fixtures
| Oct. 7 | Pakistan vs. Australia 1st ODI | Sharjah |
| Oct. 10 | Pakistan vs. Australia 2nd ODI | Dubai |
| Oct. 12 | Pakistan vs. Australia 3rd ODI | Abu Dhabi |
Preview
While there may be concerns regarding Australia's approach in the Twenty20 arena, the nation remains one of the game's most powerful 50-over sides.
With lengthier spells, the country's fast men can exert a considerably greater influence, with both Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc likely to trouble Pakistan in the UAE.
As made evident in last year's one-day international tour of India, Australia's powerful batting lineup also relishes the extra overs available in the traditional limited-overs format, beating opponents into submission with an order that boasts Aaron Finch, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and George Bailey.
Pakistan, meanwhile, are without that same batting strength, regularly seeing the men in green post totals around the 250-mark—the sort Australia gobble up, given that they've blasted past 300 in 12 one-day internationals since the beginning of 2013.
India vs. West Indies ODI Series
3 of 8
Fixtures
| Oct. 8 | India vs. West Indies 1st ODI | Kochi |
| Oct. 11 | India vs. West Indies 2nd ODI | Delhi |
| Oct. 14 | India vs. West Indies 3rd ODI | Visakhapatnam |
| Oct. 17 | India vs. West Indies 4th ODI | Dharmasala |
| Oct. 20 | India vs. West Indies 5th ODI | Kolkata |
Preview
Despite their ongoing malaise in the Test arena, India have continued to prove that they're a formidable outfit in the 50-over game, thrashing England with ease in their recent visit this summer.
Possessing what is almost an indomitable batting lineup led by Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane and Suresh Raina, India's capacity with the bat places extreme pressure on opponents, who know that totals not approaching the 300-mark will be chased down with overs to spare.
Such a situation plays into the hands of MS Dhoni's spin brigade, who use the urgency of opponents against them, stifling batsmen in a hurry who then bring about their own demise.
On home soil against the West Indies, it's a theme that should continue.
The Caribbean side are still top-heavy and reliant on too few, and without Chris Gayle due to injury, there isn't enough batting depth to trouble India, despite the team's array of explosive all-rounders such as Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy and Kieron Pollard.
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New Zealand vs. South Africa ODI Series
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Fixtures
| Oct. 21 | New Zealand vs. South Africa 1st ODI | Mount Maunganui |
| Oct. 24 | New Zealand vs. South Africa 2nd ODI | Mount Maunganui |
| Oct. 27 | New Zealand vs. South Africa 3rd ODI | Hamilton |
Preview
It's now been eight months since New Zealand last contested a one-day international, dating back to their victory over India in Wellington in late January.
As a team, they haven't played a game in any format since a pair of Twenty20 Internationals against the West Indies in July.
While the Kiwis were in need of a break after a busy schedule, such a layoff will prove troublesome as they prepare to welcome a surging South African outfit.
Having triumphed over Australia and Zimbabwe in the recent triangular series, AB de Villiers' side is approaching top gear, with Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy and the captain himself combining to form a truly prolific batting lineup.
With the ball, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel are still among the world's best, while Imran Tahir displayed signs of improvement in Zimbabwe.
New Zealand, who will likely be brushing away rustiness, are likely to struggle against that ensemble, even if the nation's limited-overs performances have taken a sharp upward turn in the last 18 months.
Pakistan vs. Australia Test Series
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Fixtures
| Oct. 22 - 26 | Pakistan vs. Australia 1st Test | Dubai |
| Oct. 30 - Nov. 3 | Pakistan vs. Australia 2nd Test | Abu Dhabi |
Preview
Once the limited-overs contests are wrapped up, Pakistan will meet Australia for two intriguing Test encounters in the UAE this month.
And frankly, it's extremely difficult to know what to expect.
While the hosts have only won three Tests in almost two years, suffering heavy defeats to South Africa and Sri Lanka in that time, Australia are coming off a massive break and are engulfed in injury concerns.
Nursing a hamstring problem, Michael Clarke's status remains unclear, Ryan Harris is still recovering from knee surgery, James Pattinson is undergoing changes to his action to protect his body and Shane Watson is set to miss the tour with a calf injury.
That's three—possibly four if Clarke doesn't recover in time—of Australia's XI from the victory over South Africa in Cape Town missing.
But like the limited-overs clashes, Australia won't have to deal with Saeed Ajmal, significantly quelling the threat posed by Pakistan against a team uncomfortable with the turning ball.
In a difficult-to-predict series, the finger-spinner's absence might be enough to tip the balance in favour of Australia.
India vs. West Indies Twenty20
6 of 8
Fixtures
| Oct. 22 | India vs. West Indies Only T20I | Cuttack |
Preview
Whereas the 50-over clashes between India and the West Indies are likely to be dominated by the home side, the sole Twenty20 encounter of the tour is likely to be a hotly contested affair.
Indeed, the shorter format narrows the difference between the teams, allowing the visitors' powerful all-rounders to pull off the sort of cameos that shape Twenty20 matches.
Additionally, in Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree and Ravi Rampaul, the men from the Caribbean have three fine spinning options to lean on, with Narine's excellence in particular often crippling opposing sides.
India boast their own strengths, of course—much the same as those in the 50-over game.
But in the shortest format, the gulf between the two outfits is considerably smaller, highlighted by the performances of the West Indian stars in the 2014 edition of the Indian Premier League, when Narine, Lendl Simmons, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Smith were among the tournament's leading players.
Bangladesh vs. Zimbabwe Test Series
7 of 8
Fixtures
| Oct. 25 - 29 | Bangladesh vs. Zimbabwe 1st Test | Mirpur |
| Nov. 3 - 7 | Bangladesh vs. Zimbabwe 2nd Test | Khulna |
| Nov. 12 - 16 | Bangladesh vs. Zimbabwe 3rd Test | Chittagong |
Preview
With Shakib Al Hasan now back from suspension, one initially felt it was possible for Bangladesh to emerge from the incredibly turbulent period they've found themselves engulfed in all year.
But with Sohag Gazi and Al-Amin Hossain both recently reported for suspect actions, it seems the nation's troubles will continue.
If there is one opponent Bangladesh would like to face amid such issues, however, it's fellow strugglers Zimbabwe.
Despite consecutive thrashings at the hands of the West Indies in September, Mushfiqur Rahim's men will like their chances of defeating their African visitors, who haven't won a Test away from home in more than a decade.
That fact alone should tilt the series toward the home side.
India vs. West Indies Test Series
8 of 8
Fixtures
| Oct. 30 - Nov. 3 | India vs. West Indies 1st Test | Hyderabad |
| Nov. 7 - 11 | India vs. West Indies 2nd Test | Bangalore |
| Nov. 15 - 19 | India vs. West Indies 3rd Test | Ahmedabad |
Preview
When the West Indies met India in two Tests late last year during Sachin Tendulkar's farewell, the Caribbean men were simply appalling, thrashed by an innings in both contests in Kolkata and Mumbai.
With a toothless bowling attack and vastly inferior collection of batsmen, the visitors were blown away with ease by MS Dhoni's side.
The margins might not be quite as monumental this time around, but the end results are likely to be the same.
Lacking the same spinning stars in the Test format that are seen in the limited-overs arenas, the West Indies will have to rely on a seam-based attack led by Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach and Jason Holder.
In the subcontinental conditions, that's a combination unlikely to trouble India, who will compile massive totals with the bat that will simply overwhelm their guests.
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