The Australian Team Breaks New Ground as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's difficult for the Australian squad to break new ground.
The top summits have been successfully scaled.
This is the squad that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, along with another six T20 titles, and once went nearly four years unbeaten in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, those for the achievement hunters, are all that remain for a squad that has achieved everything.
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It needed 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 largest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, honestly, a tribute to the bowling attack that have represented Australia over the past 50 years.
It's challenging for their hitters to hold a record if not provided the chance.
Finally, the consequence of Australia conceding 330 was captain Alyssa Healy being given a platform to deliver her most recent brilliance.
Then best known as the teenage relative of celebrated previous Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after her country couldn't capture either of the T20 or ODI World Cups from the prior year and has witnessed all through 15 trophy-laden years since.
A T20 championship victory came three months after her debut and seven world titles have followed from 10 tries across formats.
The tough gloveman was also there in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India temporarily stopped the winning streak.
That loss "motivated us to rethink our standards," Healy stated recently.
At the next 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, Healy hit 170 against England in the title decider and was awarded tournament MVP. She made sure her country would not fall short again.
Whether this newest brilliant performance exceeded that prior achievement can be debated.
Certain people claim the argument supporting final game tension. Some might respond with the difficulty that comes when confronting a historic chase and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What's clear is this century was far harder to see coming.
The New Zealand onslaught 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 failed to pass 30.
"If you've observed me in practice sessions, it was a disappointing period because it seemed I lacked timing at all," said Healy.
"But once you enter the playing area, your competitive nature kick in and you simply focus on the contest."
Healy's competitiveness has consistently been her great strength - and an irreplaceable characteristic in taking over from legendary former captain Meg Lanning.
She was challenged by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, dismissed by the 22-year-old seamer in all three matches, but on this occasion it simply offered Healy's inspiration.
A single was taken off the opening delivery and from that point Healy was underway.
"An opportunity 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 achieved fifty in 35 balls - her fastest at the World Cup - and her century in 84 balls as she flogged anything short, hitting 21 fours and three sixes.
Once she was out Australia needed 66 more at run per delivery - a manageable total now demanding an easy conclusion.
"Pursuing 330 is new territory so I'm pleased we have the confidence to accomplish that now," added Healy.
"Hopefully we don't have to do it again but, if we do, we believe we can achieve it."
That comment will be the final thing Australia's opponents at this tournament need to hear.
In recent days a sense they will win from any position has only strengthened - this success following victory over Pakistan by 107 runs despite struggling at 76-7 at a certain moment.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before a meeting with traditional opponents England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a semi-final berth may likely be confirmed.
It was at that stage they left the prior year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - a match Healy missed because of damaged tissue in her foot as she guided Australia for the first time at an important competition.
So great is her will, she subsequently stated she regretted not playing through the pain.
But while she later admitted those injuries have postponed plans to retire, this tournament is likely to be her final tournament as skipper in ODI cricket and she is still to achieve an international tournament as skipper.
Triumph in India would bring her to the top of her last major obstacle.