Andre Nel and Makhaya Ntini grab souvenirs as they celebrate

The hosts won by 174 runs in Durban to set up a decider in Cape Town.

Smith said: "Makhaya has been searching for one or two things and today it was fantastic to se him in full flight.

"We really showed a lot of discipline and a lot of charcter and I think the wicket was good so the bowlers did outstandingly well through the Test."

Ntini took five wickets in the second innings for match figures of 8-89, good enough to give him man-of-the-match honours over Ashwell Prince, who scored a century on day one.

But South Africa were almost denied victory by the weather in Durban, with India's tail-enders desperate to come off for bad light in the final session.

There's still a lot of improving to do but hopefully we can find that in Cape Town Graeme Smith

Smith said: "The adrenaline is pumping a lot at the moment. It got a bit fiery at the end there because the boys wanted to win really badly.

"But there were a lot of top performances and I'm just over the moon."

Having lost the series opener in Johannesburg, South Africa had endured a tough build-up to the Durban Test.

"It was pretty difficult," said Smith."There were, rightly, a few criticisms thrown at the team and I think some unjust ones also. Some people really went to town.

"I'm really proud that we stood up to the criticism and showed what we can do. This is what Test cricket is all about.

"We didn't play well enough in the first game but we have performed well here.

I would like to say thank you very much to the crowd of Durban, who have been fantastic Makhaya Ntini

"There's still a lot of improving to do but hopefully we can find that in Cape Town to make it a fantastic end to the series."

Ntini said he had worked hard since the one-day series to make his bowling more effective.

He said: "A lot of hard work has been done adjusting from the one-dayers to the Tests.

"In the Tests we bowl 20 overs a day, in the one-dayers only 10.

"I would like to say thank you very much to the crowd of Durban, who have been fantastic. They support us very well.

"They want to see wickets falling and [fellow pace bowler] Andre Nel at the other end is always keeping them up and awake.

"I am 150% and I know that Cape Town is a wonderful hunting ground for me."

Ntini described a lively exchange he had with tailender Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, who was India's last man out.

"He [Sreesanth] says he can't see the ball [because of the light]," Ntini told a news conference.

"So I bowl him a little half-volley and he drives me for four. I ask him, 'Did you see that?'