South Africa captain Graeme Smith has said that he hopes his side can bounce back following the surprising second Test defeat against Sri Lanka in Durban.

The series is currently tied at 1-1 and Smith believes that his side will improve in the decider starting on Tuesday in Cape Town.

Smith told ESPN: "We needed to overcome a few emotions. You go through the down time where you start reflecting and then you start picking yourself up as a team. We've had some really good chats about areas where we feel we've been poor."

Smith admitted that his side did not react to a pitch that they were not expecting.

"We played on fairly juicy wickets throughout the season and then we got on one wicket that was a little different to that and we didn't adapt well enough," he added.

Vernon Philander will return in Cape Town after the fast bowler was recalled following an absence due to a knee injury.