Australia Establishes a Fresh Record as Captain Alyssa Healy Faces One Final Mountain.
It's tough for the Australian squad to set fresh records.
The highest peaks have long been mastered.
This is the squad that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, in addition to six more T20 titles, and once went nearly four years unbeaten in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, targeted by the achievement hunters, are what's still available for a side that has won it all.
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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 above 300, regaining their record for the biggest in the female 50-over format, is, frankly, a compliment to the pitchers that have sported the yellow jersey over five decades.
It is hard for their batsmen to maintain a record if not afforded the possibility.
Finally, the result of Australia allowing 330 runs was captain Alyssa Healy getting a chance to create her most recent brilliance.
Originally famous as the teenage relative of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after Australia didn't secure either of the T20 or ODI World Cups conducted earlier and has experienced everything through 15 successful years since.
A T20 World Cup win came three months after her bow and seven global championships have come from 10 tries across formats.
The gritty keeper was also there in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India momentarily interrupted the run of success.
That loss "motivated us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy stated recently.
At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the title decider and was awarded tournament MVP. She made sure her country would not fall short again.
Whether this latest epic knock topped that previous effort is debatable.
Certain people claim the argument supporting championship match pressure. Different voices suggest with the difficulty that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.
What's clear is this century was far harder to anticipate.
The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 occurred when she topped the run-scoring charts, but this knock came after six matches in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had failed to pass 30.
"If you've been watching me in the nets, it was a challenging time because I feel like I lacked timing completely," stated Healy.
"However when you take the field, your competitive nature activate and you just lock into the competition."
Healy's fighting spirit has consistently been her major advantage - and an irreplaceable characteristic in taking over from iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's rising star Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, out to the 22-year-old seamer in all three matches, but on this occasion it simply offered Healy's inspiration.
A single came off Gaud's first delivery and from there Healy was underway.
"An opportunity to go out there and lock in a contest with her and simply enjoy myself that way, sort of got me going," said Healy.
She reached fifty in 35 pitches - her swiftest at the global tournament - and her ton in 84 balls as she attacked short-pitched balls, hitting 21 fours and three sixes.
By the time she was out the team required another 66 at a run-a-ball - an achievable target now needing a comfortable finish.
"To chase 330 is new territory so I am glad we have the belief to accomplish that now," added Healy.
"Hopefully we don't have to do it again but, should it happen, we believe we can succeed."
These statements will be the last Australia's opponents at this tournament should hear.
During the last week a feeling they will win from any position has only strengthened - this success following victory over Pakistan by 107 runs despite struggling at 76-7 at one point.
Following this Australia face Bangladesh before an encounter with old rivals England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a semi-final berth may probably be guaranteed.
It was at that stage they exited the previous year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - a match Healy missed because of ruptured tissue in her foot as she guided Australia for the initial instance at a major tournament.
Such is her determination, she subsequently stated she regretted not playing despite the injury.
Yet even as she afterwards confessed those fitness problems have postponed plans to retire, this championship is expected to be her concluding event as leader in ODI cricket and she is yet to win an international tournament as skipper.
Victory in India would bring her to the top of her ultimate challenge.