The Australian Team Breaks New Ground as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's difficult for the Australian squad to achieve unprecedented feats.
The top summits have been successfully scaled.
We're talking about the squad that has won seven Cricket World Cups, plus an additional six T20 titles, and earlier maintained 1,294 days without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The alternative records, the ones sought by the achievement hunters, are what's still available for a side that has achieved everything.
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It needed as late as Sunday's victory by three wickets over India for them to complete their first ODI chase exceeding 300, reclaiming their record for the biggest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, frankly, a compliment to the bowlers that have represented Australia over the last half-century.
It's difficult for their batsmen to possess a record if not provided the opportunity.
Finally, the result of Australia allowing 330 runs was skipper Alyssa Healy getting a chance to create her newest gem.
Initially recognized as the teenage relative of celebrated previous Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after her country couldn't capture either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups conducted earlier and has witnessed all through 15 successful years since.
A T20 championship victory came three months after her bow and seven world titles have followed from 10 efforts 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 "pushed us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy stated recently.
At the next 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, Healy hit 170 against England in the championship match and was named player of the tournament. She ensured her country would not come up short.
If this recent magnificent innings topped that previous effort is debatable.
Certain people claim the case for final game tension. Others can counter with the difficulty that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.
What's clear is this hundred was considerably tougher to anticipate.
The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 came as she topped the run-scoring charts, but this innings was preceded by six games in India since the start of last month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"If you've been watching me in the nets, it's been a disappointing period because it appeared I lacked timing completely," commented Healy.
"But once you take the field, your fighting spirit take over and you just lock into the competition."
Healy's competitive nature has continuously been her major advantage - and an irreplaceable characteristic in taking over from legendary former captain Meg Lanning.
She was challenged by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, fallen to the 22-year-old seamer in all three matches, but here that only provided Healy's inspiration.
One run resulted off Gaud's first delivery and after that Healy was in motion.
"The possibility to play and lock in a contest with her and just have a bit of fun in that regard, sort of got me going," said Healy.
She reached fifty in 35 balls - her fastest at the World Cup - and her ton in 84 balls as she flogged anything short, scoring 21 fours and three big hits.
By the time she was out the team needed 66 additional runs at run per delivery - a manageable total now demanding an easy conclusion.
"To chase 330 is uncharted waters so I'm happy we have the assurance to accomplish that now," continued Healy.
"Hopefully we don't have to do it another time but, if we do, we are confident we can achieve it."
Those words will be the final thing Australia's opponents at this tournament should hear.
In recent days a belief they will triumph from any situation has grown stronger - this victory following success over Pakistan by 107 runs despite sitting at 76-7 at one stage.
Following this Australia face Bangladesh before a match against traditional opponents England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a last-four spot may well be secure.
It was at that stage they exited last year's T20 World Cup in an unexpected loss by South Africa - a match Healy couldn't play because of ruptured tissue in her foot as she led her country for the inaugural occasion at a major tournament.
So great is her will, she later said she wished she had played despite the injury.
Yet even as she afterwards confessed those fitness problems have delayed thoughts of retirement, this World Cup is likely to be her final tournament as skipper in ODI cricket and she is yet to win an international tournament as captain.
Triumph in India would lead her to the peak of her ultimate challenge.