The Australian Team Establishes a Fresh Record as Captain Alyssa Healy Faces One Final Mountain.
It's a challenge for Australia to break new ground.
The top summits have long been mastered.
This is the team that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, in addition to another six T20 titles, and earlier maintained 1,294 days undefeated in 50-over cricket.
The remaining milestones, the ones sought by the record chasers, are what's still available for a side that has accomplished all there is.
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It needed until Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to complete their first ODI chase over 300, reclaiming their record for the biggest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, in truth, a tribute to the pitchers that have represented Australia over five decades.
It's challenging for their batters to hold a record if never given the possibility.
In the end, the outcome of Australia conceding 330 was skipper Alyssa Healy being given a platform to produce her latest masterpiece.
Initially recognized as the young family member of famous ex 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 experienced everything through 15 championship-filled years since.
Success in the T20 World Cup came three months after her bow and seven global championships have come from 10 attempts across formats.
The gritty keeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a last-four loss by India momentarily interrupted the run of success.
That loss "pushed us to rethink our standards," Healy said this week.
At the next 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, Healy made 170 against England in the final and was awarded tournament MVP. She guaranteed her country would not fail again.
The question of whether this latest epic knock topped that previous effort remains open for discussion.
Some will argue the argument supporting the pressure of a final. Different voices suggest with the test that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and an enthusiastic Indian fanbase of 20,000.
What's definite is this hundred was considerably tougher to see coming.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 occurred when she was the highest scorer, but this knock followed six innings in India since the start of last month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"For those following me in training, it was a challenging time because I feel like my form was missing completely," said Healy.
"Yet the moment you take the field, your competitive nature activate and you just lock into the competition."
Healy's competitive nature has consistently been her great strength - and an irreplaceable characteristic in replacing legendary former captain Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, fallen to the 22-year-old seamer in every game, but on this occasion it simply offered Healy's spark.
One run resulted off the bowler's initial ball and from there the right-hander was in motion.
"The possibility to go out there and engage in competition with her and simply enjoy myself in that regard, sort of got me going," stated Healy.
She got to fifty in 35 pitches - her quickest at a World Cup - and her hundred in 84 as she attacked short-pitched balls, scoring 21 fours and three sixes.
When she was removed the team required another 66 at a run-a-ball - an unconquered height now needing a comfortable finish.
"Pursuing 330 is new territory so I'm pleased we have the confidence to accomplish that now," continued Healy.
"Ideally we won't need to repeat it but, should it happen, we are confident we can succeed."
These statements will be the last competing nations at this championship want to hear.
In recent days a belief they will win from any position has only strengthened - this success coming after success over Pakistan by 107 runs despite being 76-7 at a certain moment.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before an encounter with old rivals England in Indore in ten days, by which point a last-four spot may well be secure.
It was in the semi-finals they left last year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - a game Healy was absent due to damaged tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the initial instance at a major tournament.
So great is her will, she later said she wanted to have participated despite the injury.
But while she subsequently acknowledged those fitness problems have delayed thoughts of retirement, this tournament is anticipated as her last as captain in ODI cricket and she is still to achieve a global event as captain.
Victory in India would lead her to the peak of her final mountain.