Australia Establishes a Fresh Record as Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's a challenge for Australia to achieve unprecedented feats.
The top summits have been successfully scaled.
This is the unit that has won seven Cricket World Cups, along with an additional six T20 titles, and previously enjoyed nearly four years without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, those for the record chasers, are the only things left for a side that has won it all.
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It needed until Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to accomplish their maiden ODI chase exceeding 300, taking back their record for the largest in the female 50-over format, is, honestly, a compliment to the pitchers that have worn canary yellow over the last half-century.
It's difficult for their batsmen to possess a record if never given the opportunity.
In the end, the consequence of Australia conceding 330 was skipper Alyssa Healy being given an opportunity to deliver her newest gem.
Then best known as the teenage relative of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after her country couldn't capture either of the T20 or ODI World Cups conducted earlier and has seen it all through 15 championship-filled years since.
A T20 World Cup win came three months after her first appearance and seven international trophies have followed from 10 attempts across formats.
The tough gloveman was present as well in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India briefly halted the run of success.
That loss "drove us to rethink our standards," Healy commented earlier.
At the next 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the final and was awarded tournament MVP. She guaranteed her country would not come up short.
Whether this latest epic knock topped that previous effort can be debated.
Certain people claim the case for championship match pressure. Others can counter with the difficulty that comes when facing a record target and an enthusiastic Indian fanbase of 20,000.
What's definite is this hundred was considerably tougher to anticipate.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 came as she topped the run-scoring charts, but this knock came after six matches in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"If you've observed me in training, it was a disappointing period because it appeared I've had no rhythm at all," commented Healy.
"But once you step out on the field, your competitive nature activate and you completely engage with the competition."
Healy's fighting spirit has always been her great strength - and an irreplaceable characteristic in taking over from iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's rising star Kranti Gaud in the previous month's ODI series, out to the young fast bowler in all three matches, but here that only provided Healy's spark.
One run resulted off the bowler's initial ball and from there Healy was underway.
"The possibility to play and face the challenge with her and simply enjoy myself in that regard, kind of motivated me," commented Healy.
She achieved fifty in 35 deliveries - her swiftest at the global tournament - and her century in 84 balls as she flogged anything short, striking 21 boundaries and three big hits.
By the time she was removed the team needed 66 more at one run per ball - a manageable total now demanding an easy conclusion.
"To chase 330 is unfamiliar ground so I'm happy we have the confidence to do that now," stated Healy further.
"Hopefully we don't have to do it another time but, if necessary, we are confident we can succeed."
Those words will be the ultimate thing rival teams at this championship need to hear.
In recent days a feeling they will succeed regardless of circumstances has become more firm - this triumph succeeding success over Pakistan by 107-run victory despite struggling at 76-7 at one stage.
Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before a meeting with old rivals England in Indore in ten days, by which point a semi-final berth may probably be guaranteed.
It was in the semi-finals they exited last year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - an encounter Healy couldn't play because of ruptured tissue in her foot as she guided Australia for the initial instance at an important competition.
Such is her determination, she later said she regretted not playing with the discomfort.
However although she later admitted those fitness problems have postponed thoughts of retirement, this tournament is anticipated as her concluding event as leader in 50-over cricket and she is still to achieve a global event as leader.
Victory in India would lead her to the peak of her ultimate challenge.