Canterbury's Kyle Jamieson recorded the third-best figures in Twenty20 cricket in the world on Tuesday in a brilliant display of fast bowling when he took six wickets for seven runs against Auckland.

New Zealand coach Gary Stead has had little time in charge of the side but his focus will be firmly on this year's World Cup in England and Wales when their one-day series against Sri Lanka begins on Thursday.

Dec 31 (OPTA) - Standings of the Big Bash League on Monday P W L T Ded RR PTS Perth Scorchers 10 8 2 0 0 .154 16 Adelaide Strikers 10 7 3 0 0 .801 14 Melbourne Renegades 10 6 4 0 0 .297 12 Hobart Hurricanes 10 5 5 0 0 -.291 10 Sydney Sixers 10 4 6 0 0 .331 8 Sydney Thunder 10 4 6 0 0 -.039 8 Brisbane Heat 10 4 6 0 0 -.437 8 Melbourne Stars 10 2 8

Dec 31 (OPTA) - Scoreboard at close of play of match 14 between Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder on Monday at Adelaide, Australia Adelaide Strikers win by 20 runs Adelaide Strikers 1st innings Alex Carey c Shane Watson b Daniel Sams 59 Jake Weatherald c&b Jono Cook 11 Colin Ingram c Daniel Sams b Fawad Ahmed 75 Matt Short c Joe Root b Daniel Sams 15 Jake Lehmann Not Out 8 Jonathan Wells Not Out

India batsman Rohit Sharma left Australia on Sunday after his wife had a baby girl and will miss the fourth and final test starting on Thursday in Sydney, the country's cricket board said.

Overflowing with confidence and buoyed by the blossoming of a rare pace talent, India can sniff a first-ever series win on Australian soil ahead of the fourth and final test in Sydney.

A troubled Australia side will head to the Sydney Cricket Ground for the fourth test against India hoping to turn over a new leaf in 2019 but still plagued by the fall-out of their annus horribilis.

Dec 30 (OPTA) - Scoreboard at close of play of match 13 between Hobart Hurricanes and Perth Scorchers on Sunday at Launceston, Australia Hobart Hurricanes win by 6 wickets Perth Scorchers 1st innings William Bosisto lbw James Faulkner 0 Michael Klinger c Johan Botha b Clive Rose 5 Hilton Cartwright c Ben McDermott b D'Arcy Short 29 Ashton Turner b Riley Meredith 4 Cameron Bancroft c Matthew Wade b Riley Mer

Dec 30 (OPTA) - Scoreboard at close of play of match 12 between Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Sixers on Saturday at Melbourne, Australia Sydney Sixers win by 33 runs Sydney Sixers 1st innings Jack Edwards b Usman Shinwari 5 Joe Denly c Daniel Christian b Kane Richardson 12 Daniel Hughes c Mackenzie Harvey b Jack Wildermuth 6 Moises Henriques b Jack Wildermuth 20 Jordan Silk c&b Kane Richardson

Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft's return from a ball-tampering ban proved to be short lived after he was dismissed for two runs for the Perth Scorchers in the domestic 'Big Bash' Twenty20 competition at Launceston on Sunday.

India captain Virat Kohli says the world's top batsmen will have reason to fear Jasprit Bumrah after the talented young paceman put Australia to the sword in the third test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Australia captain Tim Paine praised India's bowling attack for securing victory in the third test on Sunday, but believes the result could have been different had Steve Smith and David Warner been available for the home side in Melbourne.

Queensland all-rounder Marnus Labuschagne has been added to Australia's squad for the fourth and final test in Sydney in the wake of the 137-run thrashing in the third match against India in Melbourne.