After a delayed toss due to lightning around the Wanderers, South Africa elected to bowl first for the third time in the series - and were made to work early on.

India posted a competitive 192/4 in their 20 overs, powered by captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s 66 off 38 balls and a fluent 64 off 46 from Shafali Verma at the top. Smriti Mandhana chipped in with 36 off 25 to keep the momentum going.

For the Proteas, spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba was the standout with 2/31, while Nadine de Klerk provided solid support with 1/27.

In reply, South Africa produced one of their most complete batting performances in recent memory.

Captain Laura Wolvaardt and Suné Luus came out firing, putting together a sensational 183-run opening stand. The pair raced to a 100 partnership in just 8.2 overs, immediately putting India on the back foot.

Wolvaardt led the charge with a breathtaking display of controlled aggression. She smashed 115 off just 53 balls - an innings laced with 14 fours and five sixes - before being caught in the 16th over by AB Sharma off Shreyanka Patil.

Luus played the perfect supporting role but was far from passive, finishing unbeaten on 64 off 42 balls with six fours and two sixes as South Africa chased down the target with 21 balls to spare.

Patil was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 1/30.

Suné Luus scored her eighth T20 International 50. Photo: CSA

Player of the Match, Wolvaardt, admitted the innings was as rewarding as it was enjoyable, following all the hard yards she has put into her power-hitting.

“It was very satisfying. I’ve worked really hard on this part of my game, so to see it come together like that is really pleasing,” she said.

“It was great fun out there. We knew we had to start well chasing 190, so I gave myself freedom in the powerplay and just tried to keep the momentum going.”

She added that her improved power-hitting has been a key focus in recent seasons.

“I’ve been working a lot on my power-hitting over the last couple of years - trying to balance that with my natural, more traditional game. Sometimes you lose that balance, but tonight I felt I got it right.”

On her partnership with Luus, Wolvaardt highlighted the understanding between the pair.

“We’ve batted together a lot and understand each other’s game really well. We keep each other calm. We knew we had licence in the powerplay, and once we got through that, it was about continuing the pressure because we’ve got so much power still to come.”

She also praised the iconic Johannesburg venue and conditions under lights.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur top-scored for India with 66. Photo: Cricinfo

“It’s always special playing here - it’s an amazing ground. I thought the wicket might be a bit slow after the rain, but it actually got better under lights. The ball came on nicely, so it was a great toss to win and just a lot of fun playing here.”

With the series already wrapped up, South Africa now have the luxury of playing with freedom in the remaining matches. The fourth T20 will take place on Saturday - once again at the Wanderers - as the Proteas look to maintain their dominance.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cvdw