We would've scored 4,000 runs with 2 new balls, field restriction: Sourav tells Sachin

May 13, 2020

New Delhi [India], May 13 : Former India skipper and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly feels that he along with Sachin Tendulkar would have scored 4,000 more runs for the opening partnership if two new balls and field restrictions were available in the ODI format then.
The official Twitter handle of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday shared the partnership records of the two legends of the game.

The duo stitched together 8,227 runs in 176 innings for Men in Blue on ODIs with an average of 47.55. No other pair has crossed even 6,000 runs together in ODIs.
Replying to ICC's post, Tendulkar asked Ganguly how many more runs does he thinks the duo would make in the current scenario, "This brings back wonderful memories Dadi. How many more do you think we would've been able to score with the restriction of 4 fielders outside the ring and 2 new balls? @SGanguly99 @ICC."
"Another 4000 or so ..2 new balls..wow .. sounds like a cover drive flying to the boundary in the first over of the game.. for the remaining 50 overs @ICC @sachin_rt," Ganguly replied.

In modern-day cricket, an ODI inning is played with two new white-balls from each end. In terms of field restrictions, the fifty over game is divided into three powerplays.
In the first ten overs of the game, only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle while in the next 30 overs four fielders are allowed outside the circle. In the last ten overs of the game, five fielders are allowed to guard the boundary line.