South Africa faces a high-pressure, series-deciding third Test in Cape Town starting Tuesday in a conTest the home team was expected to win easily and began with an innings victory.

But, the Proteas fell to a 208-run defeat in the second Test in Durban and must now lift themselves from the heavy loss — as the Sri Lankans did to win their first game in the long format in South Africa.

"A pretty tough time (after Durban)," South Africa captain Graeme Smith said Monday at Newlands. "An embarrassing one or two days after the Test match where you know you've let yourself down and let a lot of people down through not performing to the standards that you know you're capable of and as a team it's about bouncing back now.

"When you win you're on top of the world and when you lose you're pretty low. You've got to take those blows and we've taken them over the last few days." Impressive newcomer Philander, who took 24 wickets in his first three Tests, missed the Proteas' defeat in Durban after injuring his left knee but looked good at training over the weekend, Smith said, and would return to the lineup for Marchant de Lange.

Petersen replaced middle order batsman Ashwell Prince, who was dropped from the squad completely and could be at the end of his international career. Petersen would open the batting with Smith, the captain said, and opener Jacques Rudolph would go down to No. 6 after a lean spell up front on his return to Tests.

Still on a high after a groundbreaking win last week, Sri Lanka has injury doubts over wicketkeeper batsman Dinesh Chandimal — with a bruised right elbow — and seamer Dilhara Fernando as it set sights on a first series win in South Africa.

"We know it's very difficult to beat South Africa but after winning in Durban everybody has confidence," captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said.

"Fantastic if we can win the series. Normally when we come to South Africa it's a dream to win a Test match. If we can win the series it's a great achievement as a team. The past few months we had a very hard time but everyone was hanging in there." Sri Lanka's newfound momentum after overcoming a 15-match winless streak, a nine-month delay with player salaries and that innings and 81-run loss in the first Test in Centurion could be halted by South Africa's mean record in Cape Town, however.

The Proteas have lost just three times — all to Australia — in 23 Tests at Newlands over the last two decades and last dropped a Test here to anyone other than the Aussies in 1962.

South Africa's primary focus will be securing a first series win at home since 2008, but the Proteas will also be eager to give veteran allrounder Jacques Kallis, 36, a win at his home ground in his 150th Test. Kallis will become the sixth player to reach the milestone.

"Jakes (Kallis) has played 17 years of international cricket ... tomorrow is his 150th Test match so that's an incredible, incredible feat and something that really needs to be acknowledged," Smith said. "As an allrounder, to play 150 Test matches at the outstanding level he's produced throughout his career is terrific." Dilshan, meanwhile, was hoping for good news on the 22-year-old Chandimal, who started his career with two impressive half-centuries on debut in Durban as Sri Lanka gave itself a chance at one of its most famous series wins.

"I think he will be a great loss for the team ... (but) I feel he can manage tomorrow," Dilshan said. "We will just stick to our basics. We are not thinking too much (about winning the series).

"We just try to finish strongly in this Test match. We are not putting any extra pressure. Before we came here everyone said we were underdogs and we can't win here ... but we proved it."