Australia Establishes a Fresh Record as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's tough for Australia to achieve unprecedented feats.
The top summits have long been mastered.
We're talking about the team that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, in addition to six more T20 titles, and earlier maintained nearly four years without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, those for the peak baggers, are all that remain for a squad that has achieved everything.
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It needed until Sunday's victory by three wickets over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase over 300, taking back their record for the largest in the women's 50-over format, is, honestly, a tribute to the pitchers that have worn canary yellow over the last half-century.
It's challenging for their batters to possess a record if not provided the opportunity.
Finally, the consequence of Australia allowing 330 runs was captain Alyssa Healy receiving an opportunity to produce her most recent brilliance.
Originally famous as the 19-year-old niece of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after her country couldn't capture 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 debut and seven international trophies have come from 10 tries across formats.
The determined wicketkeeper was present as well in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India momentarily interrupted the successful run.
That loss "drove us to rethink our standards," Healy commented earlier.
At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy hit 170 against England in the title decider and was declared player of the series. She ensured her country would not fall short again.
Whether this latest epic knock exceeded that prior achievement is debatable.
Certain people claim the case for championship match pressure. Others can counter with the test that comes when facing a record target and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What's definite is this century was considerably tougher to anticipate.
The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 came as she led the batting statistics, but this knock was preceded by six games in India since the start of last month in which she had failed to pass 30.
"If you've been watching me in practice sessions, it's been a frustrating experience because I feel like my form was missing at all," said Healy.
"Yet the moment you step out on the field, your competitive nature activate and you simply focus on the match."
Healy's fighting spirit has continuously been her great strength - and a priceless quality in taking over from famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was troubled by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, dismissed by the 22-year-old seamer in each encounter, but on this occasion it simply offered Healy's spark.
One run resulted off the opening delivery and after that Healy was in motion.
"The possibility to go out there and engage in competition with her and merely enjoy the moment in that aspect, somewhat inspired me," stated Healy.
She got to fifty in 35 balls - her swiftest at the global tournament - and her ton in 84 deliveries while she punished short deliveries, hitting 21 fours and three sixes.
When she was out her side required another 66 at a run-a-ball - a manageable total now requiring a leisurely stroll.
"To chase 330 is new territory so I'm happy we have the belief to accomplish that now," continued Healy.
"Ideally we won't need to repeat it but, if necessary, we believe we can achieve it."
Those words will be the last competing nations at this championship need to hear.
During the last week a sense they will succeed regardless of circumstances has grown stronger - this victory following victory over Pakistan by 107 run margin despite sitting at 76-7 at one point.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before an encounter with old rivals England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a last-four spot may likely be confirmed.
It was at that stage 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 led her country for the inaugural occasion at an important competition.
So great is her will, she subsequently stated she wanted to have participated with the discomfort.
Yet even as she subsequently acknowledged those physical issues have pushed back consideration of ending her career, this tournament is likely to be her final tournament as skipper in ODI cricket and she is hasn't yet secured a world championship as captain.
Triumph in India would take her to the summit of her final mountain.