The crushing loss to South Africa in Ahmedabad on Saturday may rank as one of India's worst defeats in Test cricket, but captain Anil Kumble is unperturbed.

The veteran spinner says his team is confident it can win the third and final Test in Kanpur and level the three-match series.

"There is pressure. You have lost a Test here, so it's important for us to bounce back, and we have the confidence we will bounce back," he said said after India went down to South Africa by an innings and 90 runs in the second Test.

• South Africa hand India humiliating defeat

India were bowled out for a lowly 76 in their first innings and Kumble believes the team never recovered from that blow.

"It's always difficult to come back after being bundled out for 76. We did well to pick up four quick wickets but the partnership between AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis was the crucial partnership. If we had probably got a wicket at that stage then things could have been different," he said.

South Africa put up a huge 494 for 7 in their first innings and then dismissed India for 328 to take a deserved 1-0 lead in the series.

Kumble, however, refused to blame the curator; instead, he said the batsmen failed to adjust to the extra bounce and swing that the new ball offered.

• Tendulkar unavailable for third Test

"I think the wicket behaved like that throughout with the new ball. It was just the matter of adjusting to that. It was one of those days where all the nicks either hit the stumps or went straight to the fielder."

Meanwhile, captain Graeme Smith said even he would have elected to bat if he had won the toss.

• Images: India lose second Test

"I would have done the same [elected to bat]. The wicket had something in it for the first hour or so and it swung a bit. The new ball, throughout the game, had something in it and our bowling unit knew we had to make it count and we did that superbly well. Our batters countered a lot better against the swinging ball. After that it became a good wicket. We obviously had a big partnership between Jacques and AB [de Villers]," he said.

For South Africa, De Villiers stole the show with a sparkling knock of 217, his maiden double century in Tests. Even Jacques Kallis had a reason to celebrate, as he scored 132 to register his 30th century in Test cricket.

"Jacques's 30th Test hundred is a terrific thing for South Africa; it is a huge milestone for our country. AB's first double century is obviously a huge stepping stone in his career," South Africa's captain said.

Smith acknowledged that his team came into the series well-prepared and their efforts are bearing fruit.

"It is one of those days which you really got to enjoy. We have been really focused around this series and things we wanted to achieve. Obviously, winning the series and doing what it takes to come first are one of those things," he said.