Sydney, Dec. 31 : A shocked Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has said that Tuesday''s loss to South Africa in the second Test in Melbourne has left him disappointed, but warned that the team will strive to make amends in Sydney.

"I can''t speak for the whole team. I guess yesterday afternoon I was in a little bit of shock after coming off the field," Johnson told reporters at the team''s Sydney hotel on Wednesday.

A loss in Sydney would hand South Africa the top ranking in Test cricket at Australia''s expense.

Sydney  - A 41-year-old man surrendered to police Wednesday after holding five hostages at gunpoint during a siege at a small Australian settlement that lasted more than 12 hours, news reports said

Sydney, Dec. 31: South African stars Graeme Smith and Dale Steyn may be focussing on overtaking Australia as the world''s No. 1 Test cricket side, but they can also reflect on 2008 as a stand-out year individually.

The Proteas can attribute much of their success this year - 11 wins, two draws and two losses from 15 Tests, and series wins in England and Australia - to Smith''s magnificent batting and Steyn''s brilliant fast bowling.

Sydney, Dec. 31 : Cricket is a game forever on the cusp of disappointing its traditionalists.

If 1932-33 was its defining angry flashpoint (Bodyline Series), then this year, or more specifically 2009 when the second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) gets underway, must challenge Packer''s 1970s World Series revolution as the most violent rupture in the sport''s economics.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, 2009 looms as a crucial period in clarifying where the game is headed, for its fans, players, administrators, and those that make money from it.

One test will be the integrity of cricket''s new constellation of money and power - with India and Twenty20 at its center - in the face of the world''s financial crisis.

Sydney, Dec. 31: New South Wales left arm quick Doug Bollinger is thrilled with his call-up for the Sydney Test that begins on Saturday, and hopes to save `once great' Australia from further embarrassment at the hands of the South Africans.

Bollinger, 27, was called into the 12-man national squad to replace injured strike bowler Brett Lee and has a strong chance of finally making his Test debut given his brilliant record at the SCG.

In his most recent match at the ground, for NSW against South Australia in the Sheffield Shield, Bollinger took a career-best 6-47.

Bollinger believes his familiarity with the SCG may give him an edge over Tasmania rival Ben Hilfenhaus, known for his ability to swing the ball.