Australia Breaks New Ground as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's difficult for the Australian squad to achieve unprecedented feats.
The highest peaks have long been mastered.
We're talking about the squad that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, in addition to six more T20 titles, and once went over three years undefeated in 50-over cricket.
The remaining milestones, the ones sought by the achievement hunters, are all that remain for a team that has achieved everything.
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The fact it required up to Sunday's victory by three wickets over India for them to complete their first ODI chase exceeding 300, taking back their record for the biggest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, frankly, a tribute to the bowlers that have sported the yellow jersey over the last half-century.
It's difficult for their hitters to hold a record if not afforded the chance.
Ultimately, the consequence of Australia giving up 330 runs was captain Alyssa Healy being given a platform to produce her latest masterpiece.
Then best known as the teenage relative of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after Australia couldn't capture either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups conducted earlier and has witnessed all through 15 championship-filled years since.
A T20 championship victory happened three months after her debut and seven global championships have followed from 10 efforts across formats.
The determined wicketkeeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India momentarily interrupted the run of success.
That loss "drove us to reevaluate our levels," Healy said this week.
At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy made 170 against England in the title decider and was declared player of the series. She made sure her country would not fall short again.
If this newest brilliant performance surpassed that earlier display is debatable.
Certain people claim the case for final game tension. Different voices suggest with the difficulty that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What's clear is this hundred was much more difficult to see coming.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 came as she topped the run-scoring charts, but this performance followed six innings in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"If you've observed me in the nets, it's been a challenging time because it seemed I lacked timing at all," said Healy.
"But once you enter the playing area, your fighting spirit activate and you simply focus on the competition."
Healy's competitiveness has consistently been her great strength - and a priceless quality in succeeding legendary former captain Meg Lanning.
She was troubled by India's rising star Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, fallen to the young fast bowler in each encounter, but here that only provided Healy's motivation.
A single was taken off the opening delivery and from that point the batsman was underway.
"An opportunity to go out there and face the challenge with her and merely enjoy the moment in that aspect, somewhat inspired me," commented Healy.
She reached fifty in 35 balls - her swiftest at a World Cup - and her century in 84 deliveries while she attacked short-pitched balls, striking 21 boundaries and three big hits.
By the time she was dismissed the team required another 66 at run per delivery - an unconquered height now needing a comfortable finish.
"To chase 330 is new territory so I'm pleased we have the belief to accomplish that now," added Healy.
"Hopefully we don't have to do it again but, should it happen, we are confident we can do it."
That comment will be the final thing competing nations at this tournament want to hear.
Over the past five days a feeling they will succeed regardless of circumstances has grown stronger - this success coming after win against Pakistan by 107 runs despite being 76-7 at a certain moment.
Following this Australia face Bangladesh before a match against old rivals England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a semi-final berth may well be secure.
It was in the semi-finals they were eliminated from the previous year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - a match Healy couldn't play because of torn tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the first time at a major tournament.
Such is her determination, she subsequently stated she wished she had played despite the injury.
But while she afterwards confessed those physical issues have pushed back plans to retire, this championship is expected to be her concluding event as leader 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 final mountain.