Melbourne, Mar 12 : Australian pace bowler Peter Siddle has said that a sore foot won't stop him from playing against South Africa next week, dashing hopes of Doug Bollinger to make a Test recall.

Siddle produced a heroic performance in second Test in Durban, taking match figures of 5-81 from 41.3 overs despite going into the game with a foot injury.

Skipper Ricky Ponting praised the heroic efforts of Siddle, and said the Victorian will be rested from next month's one-day series in South Africa.

Siddle said he is confident a few days of rest before resuming training on Monday for the third Test in Cape Town on March 19 will give him enough time to be passed fit for his seventh Test.

"He typifies everything that it is to be an Australian cricketer and to wear a baggy green cap," Ponting said in Durban.

"You can see by some of the grimaces on his face basically right through this whole game that he has been bowling in a bit of pain. He never shirks the issue. If you give him the ball, he'll run in and try his hardest for you absolutely every ball that he bowls," he said.

"He got the two key breakthroughs (on Monday) for us and one of the early ones (on Tuesday) and he was running in as hard for his last ball as he was for his first. That's what you want from anyone who represents you and your team. You want them to give 100 percent,
100 percent of the time," Ponting said.

"I couldn't ask for any more of him, but that's what is expected when you play for Australia," he added. (ANI)