Australia Breaks New Ground as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's tough for Australia to set fresh records.
The greatest achievements have been successfully scaled.
This is the team that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, along with an additional six T20 titles, and earlier maintained over three years unbeaten in 50-over cricket.
The alternative records, those for the peak baggers, are all that remain for a side that has won it all.
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That it took as late as Sunday's victory by three wickets over India for them to complete their first ODI chase over 300, taking back their record for the largest in the women's 50-over format, is, honestly, a compliment to the bowlers that have sported the yellow jersey over the last half-century.
It is hard for their batsmen to possess a record if not provided the possibility.
In the end, the outcome of Australia allowing 330 runs was leader Alyssa Healy being given a platform to produce her most recent brilliance.
Then best known as the young family member of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after her nation didn't secure either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups held the previous year and has seen it all through 15 championship-filled years since.
A T20 championship victory arrived three months after her bow and seven international trophies have resulted from 10 efforts across formats.
The gritty keeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India temporarily stopped the run of success.
That loss "motivated us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy stated recently.
At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy hit 170 against England in the title decider and was awarded tournament MVP. She guaranteed her country would not come up short.
The question of whether this latest epic knock exceeded that prior achievement remains open for discussion.
Some will argue the case for final game tension. Some might respond with the difficulty that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.
What's clear is this hundred was considerably tougher to anticipate.
The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 happened while she was the highest scorer, but this performance was preceded by six games in India over the past few weeks in which she had not exceeded 30 runs.
"For those following me in the nets, it's been a disappointing period because it seemed I've had no rhythm whatsoever," stated Healy.
"Yet the moment you enter the playing area, your competitive instincts take over and you simply focus on the match."
Healy's fighting spirit has consistently been her key asset - and an irreplaceable characteristic in succeeding legendary former captain Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, out to the young fast bowler in each encounter, but here that only provided Healy's inspiration.
A single was taken off Gaud's first delivery and from that point the right-hander was underway.
"An opportunity to play and face the challenge with her and simply enjoy myself in that aspect, kind of motivated me," said Healy.
She reached fifty in 35 pitches - her swiftest at the global tournament - and her hundred in 84 deliveries while she punished short deliveries, striking 21 boundaries and three sixes.
Once she was dismissed her side needed 66 more at a run-a-ball - an achievable target now needing a comfortable finish.
"Pursuing 330 is new territory so I'm pleased we have the confidence to accomplish that now," stated Healy further.
"Ideally we won't need to repeat it but, should it happen, we are confident we can do it."
These statements will be the ultimate thing rival teams at this championship want to hear.
During the last week a feeling they will succeed regardless of circumstances has become more firm - this triumph coming after victory over Pakistan by 107-run victory despite struggling at 76-7 at a certain moment.
Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before an encounter with longtime competitors England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a semi-final berth may well be secure.
It was in the semi-finals they exited last year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - a match Healy missed because of torn tissue in her foot as she guided Australia for the initial instance at an important competition.
So great is her will, she subsequently stated she wanted to have participated despite the injury.
However although she later admitted those fitness problems have delayed plans to retire, this World Cup is anticipated as her last as captain in ODI cricket and she is yet to win an international tournament as skipper.
Victory in India would take her to the summit of her final mountain.