The South African team is ready for India’s pace bowling attack that will be eager to prove their mettle in the upcoming five-match T20I series starting 9th June, said skipper Temba Bavuma.
Proteas will play the first match on Thursday, June 9 in Delhi, marking the start of their preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.
The Indian side has traditionally relied on their spinners when playing at home, but young pace bowlers like Avesh Khan and uncapped Umran Malik have raised India’s fast-bowling stocks.
"It has definitely changed our preparation. They have got their quick bowlers and their spinners as well. In terms of preparation, the focus has not just been on spin but also to make sure that we cover our bases from a fast bowling point of view," Bavuma told reporters on the eve of first T20I.
With senior fast bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami rested for the T20I series, young pace sensation Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh would be looking forward to their international debuts.
Rishabh Pant will be captaining the Indian side as KL Rahul, who was supposed to lead the team in absence of Rohit Sharma, suffered a groin injury and was ruled out of all five matches.
Bavuma said India's young talents will put forth different challenges for the team than in their last encounter in South Africa this year.
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He added: "It's an exciting series for both India and South Africa. This is a different-looking guys -- lot of younger, fresher faces within their team. Guys, who have a big point to prove, guys who want to stake a claim for their position within the Indian team. We won't be expecting anything easy, we are not thinking that everything is going to happen the same way as it happened in South Africa."
The series starts off at the Arun Jaitley stadium, where Delhi's outdoor temperatures have reached 43 degrees Celsius.
Bavuma admitted that the team did not have to face such intense heat back home but added that they remain equipped to deal with the scorching sun.
"Hydration, cramping and fatiguing are big things. You can only get used to it by playing in this type of heat. We have to hydrate ourselves and manage our energies as well as we can," he signed off.
(Cricwick inputs)
