Praveen latest injury worry for captain Dhoni

India would be a bit concerned with their lengthening injury list as they hit the home stretch for the World Cup with the ODI series against South Africa. Subhash Rajta reports.

India would be a bit concerned with their lengthening injury list as they hit the home stretch for the World Cup with the ODI series against South Africa.

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While Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have already flown back home to nurse their injuries, S. Sreesanth developed tennis elbow two days back. As if it wasn't bad enough, Praveen Kumar, the key figure in the ODI attack, turned up with a heavily bandaged bowling arm on Monday.

"It's an old injury that aggravated during the T20 match on Sunday. He's out of the first ODI and may need close to two weeks to recover," informed a team source.

India captain M.S. Dhoni, when queried over the injuries to key players in what is the dress rehearsal for the quadrennial event, put up a brave face.

"It's better we miss the key players in the ODI series rather than in the World Cup. Hopefully, we will have a fully fit squad ahead of the big event," he said.

Nonetheless, India would have undoubtedly been better off with the full-strength squad in the series that is important not just because it is the last one before the World Cup, but it would also help the selectors zero in on the final 15.

With January 19 being the last date for announcing the final squad, the first three ODIs, which fall before the cut-off date, would be of immense importance to the fringe players. While the first 12 spots look more or less sealed, the performance in the first three ODIs could have some bearing on deciding the last three slots.

WORLD CUP BOOST

Besides, the series also gives both teams an opportunity to head into the World Cup high on confidence by winning what's probably going to be as keenly fought as the Test series. Even though India's recent World Cup history tells us that their form ahead of the event isn't a true indicator of how they are going to fare — India were humiliated in New Zealand before making it to the final of the 2003 World Cup, and they hammered West Indies and Sri Lanka at home before making a first round exit from the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies - going in on a winning note is always a good sign.

"A good and hard-fought victory over Australia just ahead of the World Cup gave a huge boost to our World Cup aspirations.

“Nothing prepares you better than a good win for an important event like the World Cup," Arjuna Ranatunga, former Sri Lanka skipper, said in Delhi a month back.

Dhoni would be hoping just for that with a silent prayer on his lips — no more injuries.