IND vs SA | Proteas are bracing for India's young bowling attack, eager to prove themselves

Captain Temba Bavuma said on Wednesday that South Africa will face a potent bowling attack from a young Indian team in the first T20I under New Delhi's scorching summer sun.

In home conditions, India has traditionally relied on their spinners, but pace bowlers like Avesh Khan and the young fast bowling sensation Umran Malik have kept the country's fast bowling supplies afloat.

The first of five matches for the touring team will take place on Thursday, with the focus remaining on the short format ahead of this year's T20 World Cup.

"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," Temba Bavuma told reporters.

Senior fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have been rested for the series, which could see Malik make his international debut after consistently bowling at above 150km/h in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

After the gruelling two-month IPL tournament, all-format skipper Rohit Sharma and superstar Virat Kohli have also taken a break.

South Africa won the Test and One-Day series when they met India earlier this year. The Proteas won 2-1 in Tests and 3-0 in ODIs. Bavuma feels this new talent will be a different challenge than their previous series.

"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," he added.

Delhi's outdoor temperatures have reached 43 degrees Celsius and the series begins at Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Temba Bavuma warns against dehydration and acknowledges that the team does not have to work in such extreme temperatures back home, but that they are prepared to deal with it.

"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," the Proteas skipper concluded.