Australia Breaks New Ground as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's difficult for Australia to achieve unprecedented feats.
The top summits have been successfully scaled.
This is the team that has won seven Cricket World Cups, in addition to an additional six T20 titles, and once went over three years unbeaten in 50-over cricket.
The remaining milestones, targeted by the record chasers, are what's still available for a side that has achieved everything.
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It needed until Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to accomplish their maiden ODI chase over 300, regaining their record for the largest in the women's 50-over format, is, frankly, a tribute to the pitchers that have worn canary yellow over the last half-century.
It is hard for their hitters to maintain a record if not afforded the chance.
Ultimately, the result of Australia conceding 330 was captain Alyssa Healy receiving a chance to create her latest masterpiece.
Originally famous as the teenage relative of celebrated previous Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she first played in 2010 after Australia didn't secure either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups from the prior year and has witnessed all through 15 championship-filled years since.
A T20 World Cup win arrived three months after her bow and seven global championships have followed from 10 attempts across formats.
The tough gloveman was also there in Derby in 2017 when a last-four loss by India momentarily interrupted the winning streak.
That loss "pushed us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy said this week.
At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy made 170 against England in the championship match and was declared player of the series. She made sure her country would not fail again.
Whether this newest brilliant performance exceeded that prior achievement is debatable.
Some will argue the reasoning behind the pressure of a final. Different voices suggest with the difficulty that comes when confronting a historic chase and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What's clear is this century was considerably tougher to see coming.
The Christchurch destruction in 2022 happened while she led the batting statistics, but this performance came after six matches in India over the past few weeks in which she had not exceeded 30 runs.
"If you've been watching me in training, it's been a disappointing period because it seemed my form was missing completely," said Healy.
"But once you take the field, your fighting spirit kick in and you just lock into the match."
Healy's fighting spirit has continuously been her major advantage - and a priceless quality in taking over from iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's rising star Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, out to the 22-year-old seamer in every game, 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 in motion.
"The possibility to play and engage in competition with her and simply enjoy myself in that aspect, kind of motivated me," stated Healy.
She achieved fifty in 35 balls - her quickest at the World Cup - and her hundred in 84 deliveries while she attacked short-pitched balls, scoring 21 fours and three big hits.
Once she was removed her side needed 66 additional runs at a run-a-ball - an achievable target now needing a comfortable finish.
"Chasing 330 runs is unfamiliar ground so I am glad we have the assurance to accomplish that now," continued Healy.
"Preferably we shouldn't have to do it again but, should it happen, we are confident we can achieve it."
Those words will be the final thing competing nations at this tournament should hear.
In recent days a sense they will win from any position has grown stronger - this victory following success over Pakistan by 107-run victory despite struggling at 76-7 at one stage.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before a match against longtime competitors England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a last-four spot may likely be confirmed.
It was in the semi-finals they left the prior year's T20 World Cup in an unexpected loss by South Africa - an encounter Healy was absent due to torn tissue in her foot as she guided Australia for the first time at an important competition.
So great is her will, she later said she regretted not playing with the discomfort.
However although she subsequently acknowledged those injuries have pushed back consideration of ending her career, this World Cup is likely to be her final tournament as skipper in one-day cricket and she is still to achieve an international tournament as leader.
Triumph in India would bring her to the top of her last major obstacle.