The Australian Team Sets a New Benchmark as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's difficult for Australia to break new ground.
The top summits have already been conquered.
This is the unit that has won seven Cricket World Cups, in addition to six more T20 titles, and earlier maintained 1,294 days undefeated in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, those for 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 victory by three wickets over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase over 300, regaining their record for the largest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, honestly, a testament to the pitchers that have sported the yellow jersey over the past 50 years.
It's difficult for their batters to hold a record if not provided the chance.
In the end, the consequence of Australia allowing 330 runs was skipper Alyssa Healy receiving a platform to produce her most recent brilliance.
Originally famous as the teenage relative of celebrated previous Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after her nation didn't secure either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups from the prior year and has seen it all through 15 championship-filled years since.
A T20 championship victory happened three months after her debut and seven world titles have resulted from 10 attempts across formats.
The tough gloveman was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a last-four loss by India briefly halted the winning streak.
That loss "pushed 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 awarded tournament MVP. She made sure her country would not fail again.
Whether this newest brilliant performance surpassed that earlier display can be debated.
Many contend the argument supporting the pressure of a final. Others can counter with the challenge that comes when confronting a historic chase and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What's definite is this ton was much more difficult to see coming.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 came as she led the batting statistics, but this knock was preceded by six games in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"If you've been watching me in training, it was a disappointing period because it seemed I lacked timing whatsoever," said Healy.
"However when you take the field, your competitive nature take over and you just lock into the match."
Healy's competitive nature has continuously been her key asset - and an invaluable trait in succeeding famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was challenged by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, fallen to the emerging pace bowler in all three matches, but on this occasion it simply offered Healy's spark.
One run resulted off the opening delivery and from that point Healy was on her way.
"The possibility to go out there and face the challenge with her and just have a bit of fun that way, sort of got me going," stated Healy.
She got to fifty in 35 pitches - her swiftest at a World Cup - and her hundred in 84 as she attacked short-pitched balls, striking 21 boundaries and three big hits.
Once she was dismissed Australia needed 66 additional runs at one run per ball - an achievable target now demanding an easy conclusion.
"Chasing 330 runs is uncharted waters so I'm pleased we have the assurance to achieve that now," added Healy.
"Ideally we won't need to repeat it but, should it happen, we believe we can succeed."
That comment will be the final thing competing nations at this World Cup need to hear.
Over the past five days a feeling they will triumph from any situation has only strengthened - this triumph succeeding win against Pakistan by 107 run margin despite being 76-7 at a certain moment.
Following this Australia face Bangladesh before an encounter with longtime competitors England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a semi-final berth may well be secure.
During that phase they exited the previous year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - a match Healy couldn't play because of damaged tissue in her foot as she led her country for the first time at a major tournament.
So strong is her resolve, she subsequently stated she wanted to have participated despite the injury.
Yet even as she later admitted those fitness problems have pushed back thoughts of retirement, this championship is anticipated as her final tournament as skipper in one-day cricket and she is hasn't yet secured a world championship as skipper.
Success in India would bring her to the top of her final mountain.