Rohit Sharma will look to wield that willow to devastating effect again as India hunt a whitewash in the one-day international series against Sri Lanka with victory in the 5th ODI in Ranchi on Sunday.
India have been near unstoppable in the first four ODIs of this five-match series, thumping Sri Lanka time and again, with Rohit's remarkable 264 only rubbing salt into those away team's wounds.
With little to play for, Sri Lanka will hope to at least finish off this "why on earth are we even still playing" series with a win in the fifth and final one-dayer.
"It is difficult," admitted Lahiru Thirimanne. "Losing four matches in a row is very tough for us, but the group is having fun in their training sessions -- so the team spirit is not a problem at the moment.
"But it has been tough for us because in these conditions our bowlers haven't been able to do much.
"As a professional cricketer you have to adapt to the conditions and you have to play well on what you're given. Team wise, we hadn't had much match practice before this series. But that's not an excuse."
No possible excuse can justify Sri Lanka's poor performances in every single one of the previous four ODIs, with their batsmen failing to click, while their bowlers have gone to every single part of the ground in every single game.
India will look to complete what has been a thoroughly satisfying series with another emphatic win, and continue that ruthless streak, which they have managed to pull out splendidly under Virat Kohli.
The batting plan for India has been pretty simple really – keep wickets in hand, take your time to get settled in the crease and then go hammer and tongs in the second half of the innings.
Pretty much every batsman has stepped up with big runs for India when required, and the home crowd will hope for another entertaining batting show come Sunday.
"The reason that we have done so well in the matches since the England tour is that our batsmen have managed to go onto a big score," said India assistant coach Sanjay Bangar.
"Seven hundreds already we've seen being scored, and they're all from different batsmen. In a way it's great that they're all chipping in with those contributions when the team requires it."
The big plus in this series, however, has not been the batting – after all, the willow wielders rarely fail in home conditions – but the bowling. Umesh Yadav has stepped up brilliantly to spearhead the attack, while the likes of Akshar Patel and Dhawal Kulkarni have also impressed, with Stuart Binny also impressing with the ball in the last one-day international, picking up two wickets up top.
If that batting and bowling lineup gel together one more time, then Sri Lanka could be in for another long evening.
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The match is scheduled to begin at 1.30 pm IST (8 am GMT, 4 am ET) with live coverage in India on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports HD1. The 5th ODI between India and Sri Lanka can also be watched via free live streaming online by viewers in India on Starsports.com. You can also use the Live Pro Option to access the in-game feature via a live stream on Starsports online.
Viewers in the UK can catch all the action on Sky Sports 2 or by choosing a live stream online on Sky Go or Watch Sky Sports Online. US viewers can catch the game on Willow TV or Willow TV Online, while Middle East and North Africa viewers can watch the final match of the series on OSN or OSN Play.
Team news: India: Suresh Raina has been rested for the 5th ODI, meaning Kedar Jadhav could make his debut for India. R Vinay Kumar will also hope for a look-in.
"For tomorrow's game, we don't have Suresh [Raina] available," Bangar said on Saturday. "He has been rested. So, obviously the boys who have missed out have a very good chance of getting to play tomorrow."
Sri Lanka: Despite a few fresh faces coming in for the final two ODIs, the results and performances have not changed for the Lankans, and Angelo Mathews will probably go in with the same lineup again.
Expected lineups: India: Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Virat Kohli (capt), Robin Uthappa, Kedar Jadhav, Stuart Binny, Akshar Patel, Karn Sharma, R Vinay Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni.
Sri Lanka: Kusal Perera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dinesh Chandimal, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Seekkuge Prasanna, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Ajantha Mendis, Shaminda Eranga.
