First time Indian pace attack can challenge teams around the world, says Proteas captain Faf du Plessis

Current South Africa captain Faf du Plessis believes that the ongoing away series against Australia marks the first time when India has a pace attack capable of challenging teams around the world. 

"I think India would perhaps be the most confident they've been coming here because they would see there's an opportunity– (firstly) with the two main batters being out of the (Australia) side," said Du Plessis while referring to Australian batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner who are currently serving cricketing bans. 

"But also for the first time I think India has a pace attack to challenge teams around the world, or away from their own conditions."  

"They are extremely tough to beat at home because their pitches spin square and they've got unbelievable spinners, and a lot of them, so they can play three or four spinners and just bowl spin all day," he added. 

"But what I find with them now is, for the first time, they've got three or four seamers in their squad that can bowl 140(kph)-plus and are very good bowlers.

"Obviously when you come to conditions like South Africa, Australia, England, you need pace bowlers and in the past they might have had one or two, but now they've got three or four," stated the Proteas captain. 

The 34-year-old cricketer further termed the Indian pace attack during the recent away series against South Africa, as one of the best ever. 

"And when they travelled in South Africa (earlier this year), we felt like that was the best pace (attack) that they've had," he said. 

"They had a very, very good three-match Test series which we won 2-1, so I think they will come over here with high expectations."

At the same time, he had a word of caution for the visitors, drawing attention towards the possibility of injuries playing truant.    

"It's important, though, that their seam bowlers need to be fit," said the Proteas captain   

"In England, they had two of those seam bowlers who were injured so I think if that happened, then Australia would be massive favourites.

"But if they come with a fully fit pace attack, I think it will be a fifty-fifty split," Du Plessis added. 

The first Test between India and Australia is all set to take place on December 6 at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide.