The Australian Team Breaks New Ground as Healy Faces One Final Mountain.
It's a challenge for Australia to break new ground.
The top summits have been successfully scaled.
We're talking about the team that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, plus six more T20 titles, and earlier maintained nearly four years undefeated in 50-over cricket.
The alternative records, targeted by the achievement hunters, are all that remain for a side that has achieved everything.
- Healy's Century Helps Australia to Historic Pursuit
- Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 - Schedule, Outcomes & Details
- Tournament Standings, Leading Batsmen & Leading Bowlers
That it took until Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase above 300, regaining their record for the highest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, honestly, a compliment to the pitchers that have represented Australia over five decades.
It's difficult for their batsmen to possess a record if not provided the possibility.
Finally, the result of Australia conceding 330 was captain Alyssa Healy being given a chance to create her most recent brilliance.
Originally famous as the 19-year-old niece of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after Australia didn't secure either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups conducted earlier and has seen it all through 15 championship-filled years since.
Success in the T20 World Cup arrived three months after her debut and seven international trophies have followed from 10 efforts across formats.
The determined wicketkeeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India briefly halted the run of success.
That loss "drove us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy said this week.
At the subsequent ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Healy made 170 against England in the title decider and was named player of the tournament. She made sure her country would not fall short again.
Whether this recent magnificent innings exceeded that prior achievement is debatable.
Some will argue 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's clear is this hundred was far harder to anticipate.
The Christchurch destruction in 2022 came as she was the highest scorer, but this performance was preceded by six games in India over the past few weeks in which she had failed to pass 30.
"For those following me in practice sessions, it was a frustrating experience because I feel like I lacked timing whatsoever," commented Healy.
"However when you enter the playing area, your competitive instincts take over and you simply focus on the contest."
Healy's competitiveness has consistently been her key asset - and an irreplaceable characteristic in replacing iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.
She was challenged by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in the previous month's ODI series, out to the emerging pace bowler in every game, but this time it merely gave Healy's motivation.
A single came off the opening delivery and from that point the batsman was on her way.
"An opportunity to go out there and lock in a contest with her and just have a bit of fun in that aspect, somewhat inspired me," said Healy.
She reached fifty in 35 pitches - her fastest at a World Cup - and her century in 84 as she punished short deliveries, scoring 21 fours and three sixes.
When she was out the team needed 66 additional runs at a run-a-ball - a manageable total now needing a comfortable finish.
"To chase 330 is uncharted waters so I'm happy we have the assurance to achieve that now," stated Healy further.
"Ideally we won't need to do it another time but, should it happen, we know we can achieve it."
Those words will be the ultimate thing competing nations at this tournament need to hear.
In recent days a sense they will succeed regardless of circumstances has become more firm - this success coming after victory over Pakistan by 107 runs despite being 76-7 at a certain moment.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before an encounter with traditional opponents England in Indore in ten days, by which point a semi-final place may well be secure.
It was in the semi-finals they exited the previous year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - a game Healy couldn't play because of ruptured tissue in her foot as she led her country for the inaugural occasion at a significant event.
So great is her will, she subsequently stated she regretted not playing with the discomfort.
Yet even as she afterwards confessed those fitness problems have postponed thoughts of retirement, this tournament is likely to be her last as captain in ODI cricket and she is hasn't yet secured a global event as skipper.
Victory in India would lead her to the peak of her final mountain.