Powerplay rule change has not affected India

COLOMBO: Since the batting Powerplays were implemented in One-Day Internationals four months ago, India have not lost a match. They have played seven and won all. No other team in international cricket team has such a success rate since the inception of the new rule.
Does that make India the best team to have maximised the potential of batting Powerplays? Not exactly, if India's displays in those five-over blocks are concerned.
In fact, MS Dhoni & Co have managed to script victories in spite of the batting Powerplays. It has largely to do with the blazing starts being provided by the likes of Virender Sehwag, who tallied 314 runs during the five-match series against England, and Gautam Gambhir.
Once the pace has been set all the rest of the lineup has to do is to continue by maintaining an average speed, say 5 or 6 runs per over. Yuvraj Singh was another factor in the England series. When he gets going every over resembles a Powerplay. The 325 runs he tallied in 5 matches against Kevin Pietersen and Co provides ample evidence it.
It was no surprise then that he dominated the India's first two batting Powerplays (see box). The Indian batting muscle is so strong that it can withstand even an odd failure. As it happened at the R Premadasa Stadium on Saturday. They could muster only 14 runs in the five overs yet India managed to breast the winning tape in the end.
The bowlers too thrive on the batting firepower. Despite Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff launching a murderous assault, India won comfortably by 54 runs. Flintoff had creamed 21 runs off an Harbhajan Singh over as England amassed 59 runs in five overs.