Jan. 11: Not counting the warm-up matches in the build up to the World Cup, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is left with just five one-dayers bunched together over the next 12 days to test his side’s preparedness before the fight for cricket’s biggest prize ensues. It’s not, however the form or even the mindset of his boys that should concern him as deeply as the burgeoning list of injured players.

India are already without Gautam Gambhir from the five-match ODI series against South Africa beginning on Wednesday with a hand injury, while Virender Sehwag has been advised to rest his troublesome shoulder in the hope that both will recover in time for the mega event.

But concerns are beyond the fitness of the openers. Firebrand pacer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, who was instrumental in India’s Test series-levelling win against South Africa in Durban last month, has been sporting a brace in team practices ever since the conclusion of the third Test in Cape Town last Thursday.

He has developed a mild tennis elbow in his bowling arm — a condition that ideally requires a lot of rest. He could skip the first of India’s five match ODI series against the hosts on Wednesday. Praveen Kumar too has been ruled out. The swing bowler aggravated an old elbow injury during Sunday’s Twenty20 international at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. Kumar will head home and Ishant Sharma will take his place in the team.

Till Ishant arrives, India are left with just three pacers — Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel and Zaheer Khan in the current ODI squad. Injury to any one of them over the course of the next few games can wreak havoc to India’s chances at the World Cup.

Zaheer, despite being in terrific form, is fighting a seemingly losing battle with injuries. He was forced to take breaks from international cricket four times last year and each return has been followed with only a handful of appearances before breaking down again.

He had suffered a muscle strain in his leg in February last year, and then a shoulder injury in July, followed by a groin injury in November, before straining the hamstring just before the first Test against South Africa last month. India played 27 ODIs last year of which Zaheer played only 10.

Risking him for all five games here is a move that could backfire, and Dhoni is well aware of Zaheer’s importance in the team. “Zak has been our best bowler who has always led the bowling attack, whatever the conditions may be, whether it is a flat track or a seaming track,” Dhoni had said recently. “He is always one bowler who has done really well. We are so close to the World Cup and any injury to any of our best 11 may have a bigger impact, so that’s also a bit of a concern.”

Gambhir’s 2010 too has been similar to Zaheer injury-wise. In fact, It has been a rarity in recent times to see a full-strength India XI on field during a one-dayer. The last time Dhoni skippered a side with all his four players available — Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan — was in December 2009, against Sri Lanka. Tendulkar played in just two ODIs in 2010.

According to the team think tank, the only way to tackle the problem and at the same time brave the punishing schedule is to rest the key players before the event. Team sources say India will rest Sachin Tendulkar for a couple of ODIs against South Africa, just to be on the safer side.

After the engrossing Test series, be prepared for a less-than-perfect Indian side facing up against Dale Steyn and Co. It might just about help Dhoni put together a full-strength playing XI for the World Cup in just over a month’s time.