India vs South Africa 2015 schedule: Full list of fixtures, venues, timings and dates of T20Is, ODIs and Test matches

India vs South Africa in India – a series that have set those pulses racing ever since the tour of Sri Lanka ended (or maybe even much before that) – is just three days away, with the two powerhouses of world cricket set to play in three T20Is, five ODIs and four Test matches in a tour that will run all the way till early December.

Come the end of the tour, no doubt, most of the players will be running on adrenaline alone; but for now, we have the anticipation, energy and that sheer desire to go at full tilt from ball one.

The tour starts with the T20 internationals, and while most of these matches are usually without context, this time around, it is a little different, what with the World T20 2016, also to be held in India, only a few months away.

Both India and South Africa will want to fine tune their T20 side to ensure they have that balance mapped out to perfection heading into the World Cup, to be held from Match to April next year.

Then, of course, we have the one-day internationals. Yes, these are more of those "no context really to these matches" contests, but when you have MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin, AB De Villiers, Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn, to just name a few, playing in the same match/series, it is bound to be a crackerjack of a contest isn't it.

Finally, we come to the Test series – the most exciting one of them all. South Africa are the number one Test team in the world by some distance. India are ranked fifth, a full 25 rating points behind the Proteas.

So, on paper, this should be South Africa's series. Well, not quite.

India are as formidable a team as any when it comes to playing at home. Against Sri Lanka, when the pitches aided spin, India showed just how lethal they can be.

If the curators of the four stadiums for the Test matches make sporting, but spin-friendly pitches, expect India to have the upper hand. Only just, though.

India vs South Africa 2015 Series schedule

T20 series: Friday, 2^nd October: 1^st T20I (7 pm IST, 1.30 pm GMT, 9.30 am ET, 3.30 pm SAST) at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.

Monday, 5 October: 2^nd T20I (7 pm IST,1.30 pm GMT, 9.30 am ET, 3.30 pm SAST) at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.

Thursday, 8 October: 3^rd T20I (7 pm IST, 1.30 pm GMT, 9.30 am ET, 3.30 pm SAST) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

ODI series: Sunday, 11 October: 1^st ODI (9 am IST, 3.30 am GMT, 11.30 pm ET, 5.30 am SAST) at Green Park in Kanpur.

Wednesday, 14 October: 2^nd ODI (1.30 pm IST, 8 am GMT, 4 am ET, 10 am SAST) at Holkar Cricket Ground in Indore.

Sunday, 18 October: 3^rd ODI (1.30 pm IST, 8 am GMT, 4 am ET, 10 am SAST) at SCA Stadium in Rajkot.

Thursday, 22 October: 4^th ODI (1.30 pm IST, 8 am GMT, 4 am ET, 10 am SAST) at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Sunday, 25 October: 5^th ODI (1.30 pm IST, 8 am GMT, 4 am ET, 10 am SAST) at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Test series: 30-31 October: Tour match: Board President's XI vs South Africans (9.30 am IST, 4 am GMT, 12 am ET, 6 am SAST) at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

5-9 November: 1^st Test (9.30 am IST, 4 am GMT, 12 am ET, 6 am SAST) at PCA Stadium in Mohali.

14-18 November: 2^nd Test (9.30 am IST, 4 am GMT, 12 am ET, 6 am SAST) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

25-29 November: 3^rd Test (9.30 am IST, 4 am GMT, 12 am ET, 6 am SAST) at VCA Stadium in Nagpur.

3-7 December: 4^th Test (9.30 am IST, 4 am GMT, 12 am ET, 6 am SAST) at Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.