Hamilton: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that one of the biggest positives for Team India in their T20I whitewash of New Zealand here is the emergence of Shardul Thakur as a reliable death bowler.

"One of the most heartening aspects of India's T20I series win here is that we have found another death bowler in Shardul Thakur because we always wondered who could do that job in a case [Jasprit] Bumrah is not available. India's pace bowling unit was outstanding thoughout. Right from seniors like [Mohammed] Shami to the junior-most [Navdeep] Saini gelled," Pathan, 35, who is here on TV commentary duty, told mid-day recently.