The Australian Team Establishes a Fresh Record as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's tough for the Australian squad to achieve unprecedented feats.
The highest peaks have been successfully scaled.
This is the team that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, along with another six T20 titles, and once went nearly four years without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The alternative records, the ones sought by the peak baggers, are all that remain for a team that has accomplished all there is.
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That it took as late as Sunday's victory by three wickets over India for them to accomplish their maiden ODI chase above 300, taking back their record for the biggest in the women's 50-over format, is, frankly, a compliment to the pitchers that have worn canary yellow over the past 50 years.
It is hard for their batsmen to maintain a record if not provided the possibility.
In the end, the outcome of Australia allowing 330 runs was captain Alyssa Healy receiving a chance to deliver her most recent brilliance.
Initially recognized as the teenage relative of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after her nation 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 World Cup win happened three months after her bow and seven global championships have come from 10 attempts across formats.
The determined wicketkeeper was also there in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India momentarily interrupted the winning streak.
That loss "pushed us to reevaluate our levels," Healy stated recently.
At the subsequent ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the final and was declared player of the series. She guaranteed her country would not come up short.
The question of whether this recent magnificent innings topped that previous effort remains open for discussion.
Certain people claim the case for final game tension. Others can counter with the challenge that comes when facing a record target and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What is certain is this century was much more difficult to anticipate.
The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 happened while she topped the run-scoring charts, but this performance was preceded by six games in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had not exceeded 30 runs.
"For those following me in training, it's been a disappointing period because it seemed my form was missing whatsoever," said Healy.
"However when you take the field, your competitive nature activate and you simply focus on the contest."
Healy's fighting spirit has consistently been her major advantage - and an invaluable trait in taking over from legendary former captain Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's rising star Kranti Gaud in the previous month's ODI series, out to the emerging pace bowler in all three matches, but here that only provided Healy's spark.
A single was taken off the opening delivery and from there the right-hander was underway.
"A chance to go out there and face the challenge with her and just have a bit of fun that way, somewhat inspired me," said Healy.
She achieved fifty in 35 deliveries - her quickest at a World Cup - and her hundred in 84 deliveries while she flogged anything short, striking 21 boundaries and three maximums.
By the time she was removed the team needed 66 more at one run per ball - a manageable total now needing a comfortable finish.
"To chase 330 is new territory so I am glad we have the confidence to achieve that now," stated Healy further.
"Hopefully we don't have to repeat it but, if we do, we believe we can succeed."
That comment will be the last Australia's opponents at this championship want to hear.
During the last week a belief they will win from any position has only strengthened - this victory coming after success over Pakistan by 107 run margin despite struggling at 76-7 at one stage.
Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before an encounter with longtime competitors England in Indore in ten days, by which point a last-four spot may likely be confirmed.
During that phase they left the prior 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 guided Australia for the initial instance at an important competition.
Such is her determination, she later said she regretted not playing with the discomfort.
Yet even as she later admitted those injuries have pushed back consideration of ending her career, this World Cup is anticipated as her concluding event as leader in one-day cricket and she is yet to win a world championship as captain.
Victory in India would lead her to the peak of her final mountain.