Key Points

Chasing a target of 277, Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits opened the innings for SAW, the duo added a dominating 140 runs for the first wicket, before Deepti Sharma removed Laura Wolvaardt in the 28th over, for 43 (75) her innings included three fours.

After Wolvaardt, Lara Goodall joined Brits in the middle, she was removed by Sneh Rana three overs later in the 31st over for 9 (11), her innings included a four. Karabo Meso joined Brits in the middle, South Africa were fairly comfortable on 170 for 2 after 33 overs chasing 277, and Tazmin Brits had scored her third ODI hundred and was anchoring their effort.

With the required run-rate a touch above six an over, Brits retired hurt with cramp and that sent South Africa into freefall. Meso was on 7 off 17 balls when she tried to hit Arundhati Reddy through the off-side but played on which brought the experienced pair of Sune Luus and Chloe Tryon together.

Luus was dropped in the 41st over when she gave Reddy a knee-height chance in her follow through but then holed out to deep mid-wicket in the next over (42 over). South Africa needed 70 off 50 balls.

Tryon and Dercksen got that down to 41 off 30 before Tryon chipped Rana to midwicket in her penultimate over. Rana's last over was the one South Africa had to survive.

Instead, de Klerk was bowled trying to sweep off the second ball, Dercksen mistimed a slog sweep to deep square leg, and Brits came out again only to hand Rana a return catch and end South Africa's hopes.

They went from 249 for 5 to 252 for 8 and had no recognised batters left. Their last two batters were run out as India sealed the win with four balls to spare.

They lost eight wickets for 80 runs, including three in an over to Sneh Rana, who finished with career-best figures of 5 for 43. SAW got out on 261 and fell short by 15 runs.

For India opener Pratika Rawal scored 78 runs - her fifth successive fifty-plus score in the format, which also made her the fastest to 500 runs in ODIs, along side her partner Smriti Mandhana scored 36, the duo added 83 runs for the first wicket before Mandhana was removed by Annerie Dercksen in the 19th over.

Harleen Deol joined Rawal in the middle, after a hard-fought fifty, Pratika was removed for 78 (91) in the 31st over.

Harmanpreet, batting for the first time in ODIs this year, should have been caught at deep cover when she sliced Nadine de Klerk to Lara Goodall but was put down on 4.

Despite the miss, South Africa squeezed hard and India were unable to find the boundary for ten overs, until Dercksen returned.

She continued to struggle with her lengths and conceded 17 off her second over as India entered the final ten on 195 for 3.

Rodrigues and Harmanpreet's stand grew to fifty and Rodrigues was playing her shots but when she tried to scoop Klaas over fine leg, she only managed to find Ayabonga Khaka at 45.

Richa Ghosh came to the middle and played an aggressive cameo and scored 24 runs off the 14 balls she faced and India plundered 82 runs in the last ten overs, including nine fours and a six.

In a span of two overs, Deol was also removed for 29 (47) by Nonkululeko Mlaba in the 33rd over.

India set up well after a twin 41s from Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues, and a 14-ball 24 from Richa Ghosh helped India score 82 runs in the last ten overs.

Their total was helped to balloon beyond South Africa's reach thanks to 13 wides they sent down. India, for comparison, only bowled two wides and a no-ball.

India's ground fielding was sharper, though they put down three catches, which included Brits twice, and their spinners controlled the middle period well.

Rana and Deepti Sharma conceded 83 runs between them in their 20 overs, while Shree Charani bowled ten overs with figures of 1 for 51.

- ANI