The Australian Team Breaks New Ground as Healy Has One Peak Left to Climb.
It's difficult for the Australian squad to break new ground.
The greatest achievements have long been mastered.
This is the squad that has won seven Cricket World Cups, plus six more T20 titles, and once went nearly four years unbeaten in 50-over cricket.
The alternative records, those for the peak baggers, are all that remain for a team that has won it all.
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It needed as late as Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to complete their first ODI chase exceeding 300, taking back their record for the biggest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, honestly, a tribute to the bowlers that have sported the yellow jersey over five decades.
It's difficult for their batters to possess a record if not provided the chance.
Finally, the consequence of Australia allowing 330 runs was captain Alyssa Healy getting an opportunity to produce her latest masterpiece.
Then best known as the young family member of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she first played in 2010 after her country didn't secure either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups held the previous year and has witnessed all through 15 successful years since.
A T20 championship victory happened three months after her debut and seven international trophies have come from 10 tries across formats.
The determined wicketkeeper was also there in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India temporarily stopped the run of success.
That loss "motivated us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy stated recently.
At the next 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, Healy hit 170 against England in the championship match and was awarded tournament MVP. She ensured her country would not fail again.
Whether this latest epic knock topped that previous effort can be debated.
Certain people claim the case for the pressure of a final. Some might respond with the challenge that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.
What is certain is this century was much more difficult to predict.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 happened while she led the batting statistics, but this performance followed six innings in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"If you've been watching me in the nets, it has been a disappointing period because it seemed I lacked timing at all," said Healy.
"But once you take the field, your competitive nature take over and you just lock into the match."
Healy's fighting spirit has always been her key asset - and an invaluable trait in replacing iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.
She was troubled by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in the previous month's ODI series, out to the 22-year-old seamer in all three matches, but on this occasion it simply offered Healy's inspiration.
A single came off the opening delivery and from that point Healy was in motion.
"The possibility to play and lock in a contest with her and just have a bit of fun in that aspect, sort of got me going," said Healy.
She reached fifty in 35 deliveries - her swiftest at the World Cup - and her century in 84 balls as she flogged anything short, hitting 21 fours and three sixes.
Once she was dismissed the team needed 66 more at one run per ball - an unconquered height now needing a comfortable finish.
"Pursuing 330 is unfamiliar ground so I'm happy we have the belief to accomplish that now," continued Healy.
"Hopefully we don't have to do it another time but, if necessary, we believe we can achieve it."
Those words will be the final thing competing nations at this tournament should hear.
Over the past five days a belief they will triumph from any situation has only strengthened - this victory following win against Pakistan by 107 run margin despite struggling at 76-7 at one point.
Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before an encounter with old rivals England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a semi-final place may likely be confirmed.
It was in the semi-finals they left the prior year's T20 World Cup in an unexpected loss by South Africa - a game Healy missed because of torn tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the first time at a major tournament.
So great is her will, she afterwards commented she wanted to have participated despite the injury.
But while she afterwards confessed those injuries have pushed back consideration of ending her career, this championship is expected to be her final tournament as skipper in ODI cricket and she is hasn't yet secured a world championship as leader.
Triumph in India would lead her to the peak of her last major obstacle.