Four centuries mark a first in women’s One-Day Internationals. The total number of runs is 646. The spectators in Bengaluru were treated to as fascinating a game of 50-over cricket as they could have dreamed, and the result was also in their favor: India women clinched a last-ball win over South Africa to seal the series 2-0 with one match remaining.

It came down to Pooja Vastrakar’s final over, in which she had to defend 10 runs after India had scored 325 for 3. After allowing five runs off the first two balls, her next two deliveries resulted in two wickets. The equation changed to five off the final delivery, and Vastrakar’s slower back-of-the-hand delivery outpaced Laura Wolvaardt (135*). Vastrakar and Deepti Sharma starred with two-wicket hauls for India.

After being put into bat first, India scored their third-highest ODI total, with Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur smashing 136 and 103* respectively. While it appeared out of reach after South Africa was reduced to 67 for 3 in the chase, captain Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp’s (114) 184-run partnership propelled the game forward. Nadine de Klerk chipped in with 28. The Proteas came close to completing a highest-run chase but fell just short.

Mandhana and D Hemalatha (24) combined for a solid 62 runs off 68 balls. It was only after Harmanpreet walked out that the runs started flowing. Harmanpreet and Mandhana put on an incredible partnership, scoring 171 runs off 136 deliveries. Mandhana also became the first Indian to score back-to-back centuries in women’s ODIs. Their centuries helped India overcome a slow start and forced South Africa into a corner. Richa Ghosh played a fine cameo of an unbeaten 25.