The Australian Team Sets a New Benchmark as Captain Alyssa Healy Faces One Final Mountain.
It's tough for Australia to achieve unprecedented feats.
The highest peaks have long been mastered.
This is the team that has claimed seven Cricket World Cups, along with six more T20 titles, and once went over three years without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The remaining milestones, the ones sought by the peak baggers, are all that remain for a side that has won it all.
- Healy's Century Helps Australia to Unprecedented Chase
- Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 - Schedule, Outcomes & Details
- Women's World Cup Table, Top Run-Scorers & Leading Bowlers
The fact it required until Sunday's victory by three wickets over India for them to accomplish their maiden ODI chase exceeding 300, taking back their record for the biggest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, honestly, a compliment to the bowlers that have represented Australia over the last half-century.
It's difficult for their hitters to possess a record if not afforded the possibility.
Finally, the result of Australia allowing 330 runs was leader Alyssa Healy receiving an opportunity to produce her latest masterpiece.
Then best known as the teenage relative of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she first played in 2010 after her nation couldn't capture either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups held the previous year and has experienced everything through 15 championship-filled years since.
A T20 championship victory came three months after her first appearance and seven international trophies have resulted from 10 attempts across formats.
The gritty keeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India momentarily interrupted the winning streak.
That loss "drove us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy stated recently.
At the subsequent ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Healy made 170 against England in the championship match and was named player of the tournament. She made sure her country would not come up short.
If this newest brilliant performance surpassed that earlier display can be debated.
Certain people claim the argument supporting final game tension. Different voices suggest with the challenge that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What's definite is this ton was far harder to predict.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 occurred when she was the highest scorer, but this innings followed six innings in India over the past few weeks in which she had failed to pass 30.
"If you've been watching me in the nets, it has been a challenging time because it seemed my form was missing at all," said Healy.
"But once you take the field, your competitive instincts activate and you simply focus on the match."
Healy's competitive nature has always been her major advantage - and a priceless quality in replacing iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, fallen to the 22-year-old seamer in every game, but this time it merely gave Healy's inspiration.
One run resulted off the bowler's initial ball and from that point the batsman was underway.
"The possibility to take the field and face the challenge with her and just have a bit of fun that way, sort of got me going," said Healy.
She reached fifty in 35 balls - her fastest at the global tournament - and her ton in 84 as she punished short deliveries, striking 21 boundaries and three big hits.
When she was removed Australia needed 66 additional runs at run per delivery - an unconquered height now needing a comfortable finish.
"To chase 330 is unfamiliar ground so I'm pleased we have the confidence to achieve that now," continued Healy.
"Preferably we shouldn't have to do it again but, should it happen, we believe we can succeed."
Those words will be the last rival teams at this tournament should hear.
During the last week a feeling they will triumph from any situation has become more firm - this victory succeeding success over Pakistan by 107 runs despite being 76-7 at a certain moment.
Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before an encounter with old rivals England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a semi-final place may probably be guaranteed.
It was at that stage they exited the previous year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - an encounter Healy was absent due to damaged tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the initial instance at a major tournament.
So great is her will, she subsequently stated she wished she had played with the discomfort.
But while she afterwards confessed those physical issues have pushed back consideration of ending her career, this championship is expected to be her final tournament as skipper in 50-over cricket and she is yet to win an international tournament as skipper.
Triumph in India would take her to the summit of her ultimate challenge.