Senior India speedster Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn't mince words when he categorically said that 'things could have been different' had Aiden Markram's catch been taken or a couple of close run-outs been effected in the team's five-wicket defeat against South Africa on Sunday.
Virat Kohli dropped a dolly of Markram at deep mid-wicket off Ravichandran Ashwin when the batter was on 35 in the 12th over of the South African innings.
"Yes, if you had taken those catches, it would have been different. Catches win matches and those chances, if taken could have made the difference,” Bhuvneshwar said after the match on Sunday.
Markram scored 52 off 41 balls and added 76 crucial runs for the fourth wicket with David Miller (59 not out) as South Africa chased a target of 134 with two balls to spare.
While he didn't want to commit that the dropped catch was when momentum shifted but one could read between the lines that fielding on the day did let the team down.
"Not really, the catch we dropped and run out chances that we missed, I won't say momentum shifted but it would have been different. But I won't pinpoint any particular moment as such," the seamer said.
Bhuvneshwar was sympathetic with the Indian top-order which struggled to cope with extra pace, bounce and movement.
"When it comes to batting, we all know it was a difficult wicket to bat on. If you look at the tournament so far, the par score has been around 140 and so. We believed that with 140, we had belief that we can make a match of it."
He defended skipper Rohit Sharma's decision to give Ashwin the 18th over despite going for 17 runs in the 14th over. The only other option Rohit had was part-time spinner Deepak Hooda.
"Generally, the thought is that if spinner could keep things tight, it would have been difficult for the batters in the end while facing the pacers. And if you keep a spinner at the end then it becomes easier for batting. Had we got a wicket, things could have changed," he rued.
Unlike India, where chasing is the order of the day in T20Is due to the dew factor, conditions in Australia change from one city to another.
"That's the beauty of Australia. In India, you try to chase as you have dew. In Australia, things change from city to city and here it was difficult chasing but it could be different in next city we go," he added.
He didn't want to give the extreme cold conditions as an excuse for not doing well.
"It was very difficult but we never talked about that as we knew we have to cope with those conditions. Even in Melbourne it was cold but we never talked about these things."
