New Delhi: Jemimah Rodrigues' career-best knock and half-centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma ensured India defeated South Africa by 23 runs in a high-scoring game at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday to set up a final clash against Sri Lanka in the women's ODI tri-series.

Rodrigues scored a brilliant 123 off 101 balls with 15 fours and a six to help India post 337/9, their fifth highest total. South Africa batters made a fight of it but seamer Amanjot Kaur (3/59) and off-spinner Deepti (2/57), who capped a fine all-round show, restricted them to 314/7.

Annerie Dercksen's fine 81 and stand-in skipper Chloe Tryon's 67 kept South Africa, who needed to win to keep hopes of entering the final alive, in the reckoning. A break for bad light left SA needing 39 runs from 12 balls. Amanjot restricted the 49th over to 12 runs, leaving an unlikely 27 to get off the final over. Deepti gave away just three runs and took a wicket to seal the win in style.

Asked to bat, table-toppers India had a shaky start as in-form opener Pratika Rawal (1) was dismissed by Nadine de Klerk. Harleen Deol (4) too fell early. Harmanpreet (28 - 6x4) played a brisk cameo before top-edging a short ball.

India still ended up posting 300-plus as Rodrigues anchored the innings, scoring her second ODI hundred. She shared two vital partnerships - 88 runs off 99 balls with opener Smriti Mandhana (51) and a 122-run partnership off 115 balls with Deepti Sharma (93 - 84b).

After Rodrigues was dismissed in the 43rd over, Deepti took over and played an aggressive knock, laced with 10 fours and two sixes. For South Africa, seamer Masabata Klaas (2/51), de Klerk (2/54) and left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba (2/71) were the main wicket-takers.

South Africa needed a herculean effort to complete a successful chase, but they lost opener Lara Goodall (7) in the second over. Tazmin Brits (26) and Miane Smit (39) stitched a 63-run partnership for the second wicket as SA reached 70/2 in 15 overs.

Annerie Dercksen (81 off 80 balls) helped raise the tempo during her 72-run sixth-wicket partnership with stand-in skipper Chloe Tryon (67 off 43 balls), but they could not keep up with the steadily climbing asking rate.

With just two overs left and South Africa on 299/6, the match was halted due to poor light. Tryon and Nadine de Klerk returned once the light improved, but fell well short.

South Africa, after losing three consecutive games, are eliminated with a match left against Sri Lanka on Friday. India ended the league stage with six points in four games. Sri Lanka have four points from three games.South Africa, after losing three consecutive games, are eliminated with a match left against Sri Lanka on Friday. India ended the league stage with six points in four games. Sri Lanka have four points from three games.