Australia Sets a New Benchmark as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's difficult for the Australian squad to set fresh records.
The greatest achievements have been successfully scaled.
This is the team that has claimed seven Cricket World Cups, plus six more T20 titles, and earlier maintained nearly four years unbeaten in 50-over cricket.
The remaining milestones, the ones sought by the peak baggers, are all that remain for a team that has won it all.
- Healy's Ton Assists Australia to Unprecedented Chase
- Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 - Matches, Results & Statistics
- Women's World Cup Table, Top Run-Scorers & Leading Bowlers
That it took as late as Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase exceeding 300, regaining their record for the highest in the female 50-over format, is, honestly, a compliment to the pitchers that have sported the yellow jersey over the past 50 years.
It's challenging for their hitters to maintain a record if never given the opportunity.
Ultimately, the consequence of Australia allowing 330 runs was skipper Alyssa Healy getting a chance to produce her newest gem.
Initially recognized as the 19-year-old niece of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after her country couldn't capture either of the T20 or ODI World Cups held the previous year and has seen it all through 15 successful years since.
Success in the T20 World Cup came three months after her bow and seven world titles have come from 10 tries across formats.
The determined wicketkeeper was also there in Derby in 2017 when a last-four loss by India temporarily stopped the run of success.
That loss "drove us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy stated recently.
At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy hit 170 against England in the title decider and was awarded tournament MVP. She guaranteed her country would not fail again.
Whether this latest epic knock topped that previous effort remains open for discussion.
Some will argue the case for championship match pressure. Some might respond with the test that comes when facing a record target and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What's clear is this hundred was much more difficult to anticipate.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 happened while she topped the run-scoring charts, but this performance came after six matches in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had failed to pass 30.
"If you've observed me in training, it was a challenging time because it seemed I've had no rhythm completely," commented Healy.
"However when you enter the playing area, your competitive nature kick in and you completely engage with the competition."
Healy's competitiveness has consistently been her major advantage - and an irreplaceable characteristic in taking over from famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was troubled by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, fallen to the emerging pace bowler in every game, but here that only provided Healy's motivation.
A single came off the bowler's initial ball and after that the batsman was underway.
"An opportunity to go out there and face the challenge with her and merely enjoy the moment in that regard, sort of got me going," commented Healy.
She got to fifty in 35 pitches - her swiftest at the global tournament - and her hundred in 84 as she flogged anything short, hitting 21 fours and three maximums.
When she was dismissed Australia needed 66 additional runs at run per delivery - an achievable target now demanding an easy conclusion.
"To chase 330 is unfamiliar ground so I'm happy we have the confidence to do that now," added Healy.
"Preferably we shouldn't have to repeat it but, if necessary, we believe we can achieve it."
Those words will be the ultimate thing rival teams at this tournament want to hear.
Over the past five days a belief they will win from any position has become more firm - this victory following win against Pakistan by 107-run victory despite struggling at 76-7 at a certain moment.
Following this Australia face Bangladesh before a meeting with traditional opponents England in Indore in ten days, by which point a last-four spot may likely be confirmed.
It was in the semi-finals they exited the prior year's T20 World Cup in an unexpected loss by South Africa - a game Healy was absent due to ruptured tissue in her foot as she led her country for the inaugural occasion at an important competition.
Such is her determination, she afterwards commented she regretted not playing despite the injury.
Yet even as she later admitted those fitness problems have delayed thoughts of retirement, this tournament is expected to be her last as captain in ODI cricket and she is hasn't yet secured a global event as captain.
Success in India would bring her to the top of her ultimate challenge.