The Australian Team Breaks New Ground as Captain Alyssa Healy Has One Peak Left to Climb.
It's tough for Australia to achieve unprecedented feats.
The top summits have been successfully scaled.
This is the squad that has won seven Cricket World Cups, in addition to six more T20 titles, and earlier maintained 1,294 days unbeaten in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, the ones sought by the achievement hunters, are what's still available for a side that has achieved everything.
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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, reclaiming their record for the highest in the women's 50-over format, is, in truth, a testament to the bowling attack that have represented Australia over the last half-century.
It is hard for their hitters to hold a record if never given the possibility.
Ultimately, the outcome of Australia conceding 330 was skipper Alyssa Healy getting a chance to deliver her latest masterpiece.
Originally famous as the young family member of celebrated previous Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after her nation failed to win either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups held the previous year and has seen it all through 15 championship-filled years since.
A T20 championship victory happened three months after her bow and seven international trophies have followed from 10 efforts across formats.
The gritty keeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a last-four loss by India momentarily interrupted the successful run.
That loss "motivated us to reevaluate our levels," Healy said this week.
At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the final and was awarded tournament MVP. She ensured her country would not come up short.
The question of whether this latest epic knock surpassed that earlier display remains open for discussion.
Certain people claim the reasoning behind the pressure of a final. Different voices suggest with the test that comes when facing a record target and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.
What is certain is this hundred was much more difficult to predict.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 came as she was the highest scorer, 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 been watching me in the nets, it was a frustrating experience because it seemed my form was missing at all," commented Healy.
"Yet the moment you take the field, your fighting spirit kick in and you simply focus on the competition."
Healy's competitive nature has always been her great strength - and an invaluable trait in succeeding legendary former captain Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in the previous month's ODI series, out to the young fast bowler in all three matches, but this time it merely gave Healy's spark.
One run resulted off Gaud's first delivery and from there Healy was on her way.
"The possibility to play and face the challenge with her and simply enjoy myself in that aspect, somewhat inspired me," said Healy.
She got to fifty in 35 pitches - her fastest at a World Cup - and her ton in 84 as she flogged anything short, scoring 21 fours and three sixes.
Once she was dismissed her side needed 66 additional runs at a run-a-ball - a manageable total now demanding an easy conclusion.
"Chasing 330 runs is new territory so I am glad we have the assurance to do that now," continued Healy.
"Ideally we won't need to do it again but, should it happen, we know we can achieve it."
These statements will be the last Australia's opponents at this World Cup want to hear.
In recent days a feeling they will succeed regardless of circumstances has become more firm - this success coming after success over Pakistan by 107-run victory despite sitting at 76-7 at one point.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before a meeting with longtime competitors England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a semi-final place may probably be guaranteed.
It was in the semi-finals they exited the prior year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - a game Healy was absent due to ruptured tissue in her foot as she guided Australia for the initial instance at a major tournament.
Such is her determination, she subsequently stated she regretted not playing with the discomfort.
However although she afterwards confessed those fitness problems have postponed plans to retire, this tournament is likely to be her last as captain in one-day cricket and she is yet to win a global event as leader.
Victory in India would lead her to the peak of her ultimate challenge.