Australia Sets a New Benchmark as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's difficult for Australia to achieve unprecedented feats.
The highest peaks have been successfully scaled.
We're talking about the team that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, plus another six T20 titles, and earlier maintained over three years without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The remaining milestones, targeted by the record chasers, are what's still available for a side that has won it all.
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The fact it required until Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to complete their first ODI chase over 300, regaining their record for the largest in the female 50-over format, is, honestly, a tribute to the bowling attack that have sported the yellow jersey over the past 50 years.
It's difficult for their hitters to possess a record if not afforded the chance.
In the end, the outcome of Australia giving up 330 runs was captain Alyssa Healy being given a platform to create her most recent brilliance.
Then best known as the teenage relative of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she first played in 2010 after her country didn't secure either of the T20 or ODI World Cups from the prior year and has experienced everything through 15 trophy-laden years since.
A T20 championship victory happened three months after her debut and seven international trophies have followed from 10 tries across formats.
The tough gloveman 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 commented earlier.
At the subsequent ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the final and was named player of the tournament. She made sure her country would not fall short again.
The question of whether this newest brilliant performance exceeded that prior achievement is debatable.
Certain people claim the reasoning behind final game tension. Different voices suggest with the challenge that comes when confronting a historic chase and an enthusiastic Indian fanbase of 20,000.
What is certain is this century was far harder to anticipate.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 came as she was the highest scorer, but this performance came after six matches in India over the past few weeks in which she had failed to pass 30.
"If you've observed me in training, it's been a disappointing period because it seemed my form was missing whatsoever," stated Healy.
"Yet the moment you enter the playing area, your competitive nature take over and you just lock into the match."
Healy's competitiveness has consistently been her key asset - and an irreplaceable characteristic in succeeding legendary former captain Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's rising star Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, fallen to the young fast bowler in every game, but on this occasion it simply offered Healy's motivation.
One run resulted off the bowler's initial ball and from there the batsman was in motion.
"The possibility to take the field and engage in competition with her and merely enjoy the moment that way, sort of got me going," said Healy.
She reached fifty in 35 deliveries - her swiftest at a World Cup - and her century in 84 deliveries while she punished short deliveries, striking 21 boundaries and three maximums.
When she was dismissed the team needed 66 additional runs at run per delivery - an achievable target now requiring a leisurely stroll.
"To chase 330 is uncharted waters so I'm happy we have the confidence to accomplish that now," continued Healy.
"Preferably we shouldn't have to repeat it but, should it happen, we know we can achieve it."
That comment will be the ultimate thing competing nations at this World Cup want to hear.
Over the past five days a feeling they will win from any position has become more firm - this triumph succeeding win against Pakistan by 107 run margin despite being 76-7 at one stage.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before a match against traditional opponents England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a last-four spot may well be secure.
It was in the semi-finals they exited the previous year's T20 World Cup in an unexpected loss by South Africa - a game Healy couldn't play because of damaged 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.
Yet even as she afterwards confessed those physical issues have delayed consideration of ending her career, this championship is anticipated as her concluding event as leader in 50-over cricket and she is yet to win a global event as skipper.
Success in India would lead her to the peak of her last major obstacle.