The Australian Team Breaks New Ground as Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's a challenge for the Australian squad to set fresh records.
The greatest achievements have been successfully scaled.
This is the team that has claimed seven Cricket World Cups, along with an additional six T20 titles, and previously enjoyed nearly four years unbeaten in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, those for the record chasers, are what's still available for a side that has won it all.
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That it took up to Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to complete their first ODI chase above 300, regaining their record for the highest in the female 50-over format, is, honestly, a compliment to the bowlers that have represented Australia over five decades.
It is hard for their batsmen to hold a record if not provided the possibility.
Finally, the result of Australia allowing 330 runs was leader Alyssa Healy getting a chance to create her latest masterpiece.
Then best known as the young family member of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after her country failed to win either of the T20 or ODI World Cups from the prior year and has seen it all through 15 trophy-laden years since.
A T20 championship victory arrived three months after her debut and seven global championships have followed from 10 tries across formats.
The tough gloveman was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India briefly halted the run of success.
That loss "motivated us to reevaluate our levels," Healy commented earlier.
At the next 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the championship match and was named player of the tournament. She made sure her country would not fall short again.
Whether this newest brilliant performance topped that previous effort can be debated.
Some will argue the argument supporting final game tension. Some might respond with the challenge that comes when facing a record target and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What's clear is this century was far harder to anticipate.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 came as she topped the run-scoring charts, but this performance came after six matches in India since the start of last month in which she had failed to pass 30.
"If you've observed me in the nets, it's been a frustrating experience because it seemed I've had no rhythm completely," stated Healy.
"Yet the moment you take the field, your competitive nature activate and you simply focus on the match."
Healy's competitive nature has consistently been her major advantage - and an irreplaceable characteristic in succeeding famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was troubled by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in the previous month's ODI series, fallen to the young fast bowler in each encounter, but here that only provided Healy's motivation.
A single was taken off Gaud's first delivery and from there Healy was on her way.
"An opportunity to take the field and lock in a contest with her and simply enjoy myself in that aspect, somewhat inspired me," commented Healy.
She reached fifty in 35 deliveries - her swiftest at the global tournament - and her hundred in 84 as she punished short deliveries, hitting 21 fours and three sixes.
When she was out Australia needed 66 additional runs at a run-a-ball - a manageable total now needing a comfortable finish.
"Pursuing 330 is new territory so I am glad we have the confidence to do that now," stated Healy further.
"Preferably we shouldn't have to do it another time but, if necessary, we are confident we can achieve it."
That comment will be the last rival teams at this World Cup should hear.
In recent days a belief they will win from any position has only strengthened - this triumph succeeding victory over Pakistan by 107 run margin despite struggling at 76-7 at one stage.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before a match against longtime competitors England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a semi-final place may probably be guaranteed.
During that phase they were eliminated from last year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - a match Healy missed because of damaged tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the first time at a significant event.
So strong is her resolve, she afterwards commented she wanted to have participated through the pain.
But while she afterwards confessed those fitness problems have postponed thoughts of retirement, this World Cup is anticipated as her last as captain in ODI cricket and she is still to achieve a world championship as captain.
Triumph in India would bring her to the top of her ultimate challenge.