NEW DELHI: Pakistan players reportedly "had a lot to say" to Tilak Varma as he walked to the crease in the Asia Cup final, but instead of rattling him, it seemed to ignite the Indian batter.

With India reeling after early wickets, Tilak stepped in at a precarious moment. Despite the on-field hostilities and verbal jabs from the opposition, he maintained his composure and went on to deliver one of the most defining innings of his career under immense pressure.

"I wanted my bat to do the talking. They were saying a lot of things. I just wanted to respond with my bat. Now they are not visible on the ground," said Tilak in a chat with teammate Shivam Dube on BCCI.TV.

The 60-run stand between Dube and Tilak helped India win the Asia Cup with two balls to spare. Tilak remained unbeaten on 69 off 53 balls.

"I think my bat did the talking as well, they did not have much to say to me," said Dube in a light-hearted conversation.

Tilak said the charged atmosphere in the stadium inspired him to rise to the occasion in the high-stakes contest.

"The chants of Vande Matram in the stands gave me goosebumps. I just want to say Bharat mata ki jai," added Tilak.

In addition to his vital 33 in the middle order, Dube faced the tough task of bowling the first over in Hardik Pandya’s absence. Questions had been raised about his bowling not long ago, but he answered them emphatically, delivering a standout performance with the ball as well.

"There is a lot of hard work behind (my bowling) and prayers of Indian team supporters. Lot of support and confidence has been given by the management. It was a crucial game, I got a big opportunity. It was fun," concluded Dube.