Australia Establishes a Fresh Record as Healy Has One Peak Left to Climb.
It's tough for Australia to achieve unprecedented feats.
The greatest achievements have been successfully scaled.
This is the squad that has claimed seven Cricket World Cups, along with an additional six T20 titles, and once went over three years without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The alternative records, the ones sought by the record chasers, are the only things left for a squad that has accomplished all there is.
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That it took up to Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase exceeding 300, taking back their record for the highest in the female 50-over format, is, frankly, a compliment to the bowlers that have represented Australia over the last half-century.
It's challenging for their batsmen to maintain a record if never given the possibility.
Finally, the result of Australia allowing 330 runs was leader Alyssa Healy getting an opportunity to create her latest masterpiece.
Then best known as the teenage relative of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after her country didn't secure either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups from the prior year and has witnessed all through 15 trophy-laden years since.
Success in the T20 World Cup arrived three months after her debut and seven global championships have followed from 10 efforts across formats.
The gritty keeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India briefly halted the successful run.
That loss "motivated us to reevaluate our levels," Healy said this week.
At the subsequent ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Healy hit 170 against England in the final and was declared player of the series. She made sure her country would not come up short.
Whether this recent magnificent innings exceeded that prior achievement is debatable.
Many contend the reasoning behind championship match pressure. Some might respond with the challenge that comes when facing a record target and an enthusiastic Indian fanbase of 20,000.
What's clear is this century was far harder to anticipate.
The Christchurch destruction in 2022 happened while she led the batting statistics, but this performance 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 has been a challenging time because it appeared I lacked timing at all," said Healy.
"However when you take the field, your fighting spirit kick in and you completely engage with the match."
Healy's competitive nature has always been her great strength - and an irreplaceable characteristic in succeeding legendary former captain Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's rising star Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, dismissed by the 22-year-old seamer in every game, but this time it merely gave Healy's spark.
A single was taken off the opening delivery and from that point the right-hander was underway.
"The possibility to take the field and engage in competition with her and simply enjoy myself in that regard, sort of got me going," commented Healy.
She reached fifty in 35 balls - her swiftest at the World Cup - and her hundred in 84 deliveries while she attacked short-pitched balls, hitting 21 fours and three maximums.
By the time she was removed her side needed 66 more at one run per ball - an achievable target now demanding an easy conclusion.
"Pursuing 330 is new territory so I'm pleased we have the confidence to achieve that now," added Healy.
"Hopefully we don't have to repeat it but, if we do, we know we can do it."
That comment will be the ultimate thing Australia's opponents at this tournament want to hear.
During the last week a belief they will triumph from any situation has only strengthened - this victory succeeding victory over Pakistan by 107-run victory despite being 76-7 at a certain moment.
Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before an encounter with old rivals England in Indore in ten days, by which point a last-four spot may well be secure.
It was at that stage they were eliminated from the prior year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - an encounter Healy missed because of ruptured tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the first time at an important competition.
So great is her will, she subsequently stated she wanted to have participated with the discomfort.
However although she afterwards confessed those injuries have delayed thoughts of retirement, this tournament is likely to be her last as captain in ODI cricket and she is yet to win a world championship as skipper.
Victory in India would bring her to the top of her last major obstacle.