Australia Breaks New Ground as Healy Faces One Final Mountain.
It's tough for Australia to achieve unprecedented feats.
The highest peaks have long been mastered.
This is the unit that has won seven Cricket World Cups, along with six more T20 titles, and earlier maintained nearly four years without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The remaining milestones, those for the record chasers, are what's still available for a squad that has won it all.
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The fact it required as late as Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase over 300, taking back their record for the highest in the women's 50-over format, is, frankly, a testament to the pitchers that have represented Australia over five decades.
It's challenging for their batsmen to maintain a record if not provided the possibility.
In the end, the result of Australia conceding 330 was skipper Alyssa Healy receiving an opportunity to produce her latest masterpiece.
Then best known as the teenage relative of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after Australia couldn't capture either of the T20 or ODI World Cups conducted earlier and has witnessed all through 15 trophy-laden years since.
A T20 World Cup win came three months after her debut and seven global championships have followed from 10 attempts across formats.
The gritty keeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a last-four loss by India temporarily stopped the winning streak.
That loss "drove us to rethink our standards," Healy stated recently.
At the subsequent ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Healy made 170 against England in the championship match and was declared player of the series. She ensured her country would not come up short.
Whether this latest epic knock surpassed that earlier display remains open for discussion.
Many contend the reasoning behind final game tension. Some might respond with the test that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.
What's definite is this ton was much more difficult to see coming.
The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 came as she topped the run-scoring charts, but this knock was preceded by six games in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had not exceeded 30 runs.
"If you've been watching me in training, it's been a disappointing period because I feel like my form was missing whatsoever," stated Healy.
"However when you take the field, your competitive instincts take over and you completely engage with the competition."
Healy's fighting spirit has always been her major advantage - and an invaluable trait in succeeding iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.
She was troubled by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, dismissed by the emerging pace bowler in each encounter, but here that only provided Healy's spark.
A single came off the bowler's initial ball and after that the batsman was underway.
"The possibility to go out there and face the challenge with her and merely enjoy the moment in that aspect, somewhat inspired me," stated Healy.
She reached fifty in 35 pitches - her swiftest at the World Cup - and her hundred in 84 as she punished short deliveries, hitting 21 fours and three maximums.
By the time she was removed the team needed 66 more at run per delivery - an unconquered height now demanding an easy conclusion.
"To chase 330 is uncharted waters so I'm pleased we have the belief to achieve that now," stated Healy further.
"Ideally we won't need to repeat it but, should it happen, we are confident we can do it."
That comment will be the ultimate thing Australia's opponents at this championship should hear.
During the last week a feeling they will succeed regardless of circumstances has only strengthened - this triumph coming after win against Pakistan by 107 runs despite being 76-7 at one point.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before a meeting with traditional opponents England in Indore in ten days, by which point a semi-final place may well be secure.
During that phase they exited the previous year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - a match Healy was absent due to torn tissue in her foot as she led her country for the inaugural occasion at a major tournament.
Such is her determination, she afterwards commented she wanted to have participated through the pain.
Yet even as she later admitted those physical issues have postponed plans to retire, this World Cup is anticipated as her final tournament as skipper in ODI cricket and she is still to achieve an international tournament as skipper.
Victory in India would bring her to the top of her last major obstacle.