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 already been conquered.
This is the team that has claimed seven Cricket World Cups, plus another six T20 titles, and earlier maintained nearly four years unbeaten in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, the ones sought by the record chasers, are all that remain for a team that has won it all.
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It needed as late as Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase exceeding 300, regaining their record for the largest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, honestly, a tribute to the pitchers that have worn canary yellow over the past 50 years.
It's challenging for their batsmen to possess a record if not afforded the possibility.
Ultimately, the consequence of Australia conceding 330 was leader Alyssa Healy being given an opportunity to deliver her newest gem.
Then best known as the young family member of celebrated previous Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she first played in 2010 after her country couldn't capture either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups held the previous year and has seen it all through 15 successful years since.
A T20 championship victory happened three months after her first appearance and seven world titles have followed from 10 efforts across formats.
The gritty keeper was present as well in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India temporarily stopped the run of success.
That loss "drove us to reevaluate our levels," Healy said this week.
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 guaranteed her country would not fail again.
Whether this latest epic knock topped that previous effort remains open for discussion.
Some will argue the case for the pressure of a final. Different voices suggest with the test that comes when confronting a historic chase and an enthusiastic Indian fanbase of 20,000.
What's definite is this ton was far harder to predict.
The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 occurred when she led the batting statistics, but this performance was preceded by six games in India over the past few weeks in which she had not exceeded 30 runs.
"If you've been watching me in the nets, it has been a disappointing period because I feel like my form was missing at all," commented Healy.
"Yet the moment you take the field, your fighting spirit kick in and you completely engage with the contest."
Healy's competitive nature has continuously been her major advantage - and a priceless quality in succeeding iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.
She was challenged by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in the previous month's ODI series, fallen to the young fast bowler in each encounter, but here that only provided Healy's spark.
A single was taken off the bowler's initial ball and from that point the right-hander was on her way.
"A chance to play and lock in a contest with her and just have a bit of fun in that regard, sort of got me going," commented Healy.
She reached fifty in 35 balls - her swiftest at a World Cup - and her hundred in 84 balls as she flogged anything short, hitting 21 fours and three sixes.
Once she was removed the team needed 66 additional runs at run per delivery - an achievable target now demanding an easy conclusion.
"To chase 330 is new territory so I'm happy we have the belief to do that now," added Healy.
"Hopefully we don't have to repeat it but, if necessary, we are confident we can do it."
That comment will be the last rival teams at this World Cup want to hear.
Over the past five days a sense they will win from any position has only strengthened - this victory following victory over Pakistan by 107-run victory despite sitting at 76-7 at one stage.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before a match against longtime competitors England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a semi-final place may probably be guaranteed.
During that phase they exited last year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - an encounter Healy missed because of torn tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the first time at a major tournament.
So great is her will, she afterwards commented she wanted to have participated with the discomfort.
But while she afterwards confessed those physical issues have delayed thoughts of retirement, this tournament is expected to be her concluding event as leader in ODI cricket and she is yet to win a global event as captain.
Triumph in India would take her to the summit of her final mountain.