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 already been conquered.
This is the unit that has won seven Cricket World Cups, along with six more T20 titles, and earlier maintained nearly four years unbeaten in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, targeted by the record chasers, are what's still available for a side that has won it all.
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The fact it required up to Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to complete their first ODI chase exceeding 300, regaining their record for the biggest in the women's 50-over format, is, honestly, a tribute to the bowling attack that have represented Australia over the past 50 years.
It is hard for their batsmen to maintain a record if never given the chance.
In the end, the outcome of Australia conceding 330 was captain Alyssa Healy getting an opportunity to create her most recent brilliance.
Initially recognized as the young family member of celebrated previous Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she first played in 2010 after her country failed to win either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups held the previous year and has experienced everything through 15 trophy-laden years since.
A T20 World Cup win arrived three months after her bow and seven world titles have resulted from 10 attempts across formats.
The gritty keeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India briefly halted the run of success.
That loss "pushed us to rethink our standards," Healy said this week.
At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy made 170 against England in the final and was declared player of the series. She ensured her country would not come up short.
Whether this recent magnificent innings exceeded that prior achievement is debatable.
Some will argue the reasoning behind final game tension. Some might respond with the challenge that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.
What's definite is this ton was far harder to anticipate.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 occurred when she topped the run-scoring charts, but this knock was preceded by six games in India since the start of last month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"For those following me in practice sessions, it was a challenging time because it seemed my form was missing completely," said Healy.
"But once you take the field, your competitive instincts take over and you simply focus on the contest."
Healy's competitive nature has consistently been her great strength - and an invaluable trait in replacing famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was troubled by India's rising star Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, out to the 22-year-old seamer in each encounter, but on this occasion it simply offered Healy's inspiration.
One run resulted off Gaud's first delivery and from there the right-hander was on her way.
"A chance to play and engage in competition with her and simply enjoy myself that way, sort of got me going," stated Healy.
She achieved fifty in 35 pitches - her fastest at the World Cup - and her century in 84 balls as she flogged anything short, hitting 21 fours and three big hits.
When she was out the team needed 66 additional runs at one run per ball - an unconquered height now demanding an easy conclusion.
"Chasing 330 runs is uncharted waters so I am glad we have the confidence to accomplish that now," stated Healy further.
"Preferably we shouldn't have to repeat it but, if necessary, we believe we can achieve it."
That comment will be the last rival teams at this championship should hear.
During the last week a feeling they will succeed regardless of circumstances has grown stronger - this triumph succeeding win against Pakistan by 107 run margin despite struggling at 76-7 at one point.
Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before a match against longtime competitors England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a semi-final place may likely be confirmed.
It was in the semi-finals they exited the previous year's T20 World Cup in an unexpected loss by South Africa - an encounter Healy was absent due to torn tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the inaugural occasion at a major tournament.
So strong is her resolve, she subsequently stated she regretted not playing despite the injury.
But while she afterwards confessed those injuries have postponed consideration of ending her career, this World Cup is anticipated as her concluding event as leader in one-day cricket and she is hasn't yet secured a global event as skipper.
Success in India would lead her to the peak of her last major obstacle.