Australia Breaks New Ground as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's difficult for the Australian squad to break new ground.
The highest peaks have long been mastered.
We're talking about the team that has won seven Cricket World Cups, plus an additional six T20 titles, and once went over three years unbeaten in 50-over cricket.
The alternative records, targeted by the achievement hunters, are what's still available for a squad that has achieved everything.
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It needed up to Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase over 300, regaining their record for the highest in the women's 50-over format, is, in truth, a tribute to the bowlers that have represented Australia over the last half-century.
It's challenging for their batters to possess a record if not provided the chance.
In the end, the consequence of Australia conceding 330 was skipper Alyssa Healy being given an opportunity to create her latest masterpiece.
Then best known as the teenage relative of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after her country couldn't capture either of the T20 or ODI World Cups conducted earlier and has experienced everything through 15 successful years since.
A T20 World Cup win came three months after her bow and seven world titles have resulted from 10 attempts across formats.
The tough gloveman was in attendance 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 next 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, Healy hit 170 against England in the final and was awarded tournament MVP. She guaranteed her country would not come up short.
The question of whether this newest brilliant performance topped that previous effort can be debated.
Some will argue the reasoning behind final game tension. Some might respond with the challenge that comes when facing a record target and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.
What's definite is this hundred was considerably tougher to anticipate.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 occurred when she was the highest scorer, but this innings was preceded by six games in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"For those following me in training, it was a frustrating experience because I feel like my form was missing completely," commented Healy.
"But once you enter the playing area, your fighting spirit activate and you completely engage with the contest."
Healy's fighting spirit has always been her major advantage - and an irreplaceable characteristic in replacing legendary former captain Meg Lanning.
She was troubled by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, dismissed by the emerging pace bowler in all three matches, but this time it merely gave Healy's spark.
A single came off Gaud's first delivery and from there Healy was underway.
"A chance to play and engage in competition with her and merely enjoy the moment that way, kind of motivated me," said Healy.
She achieved fifty in 35 pitches - her quickest at a World Cup - and her ton in 84 deliveries while she flogged anything short, hitting 21 fours and three maximums.
By the time she was dismissed Australia needed 66 additional runs at a run-a-ball - an achievable target now needing a comfortable finish.
"Chasing 330 runs is new territory so I'm pleased we have the belief to do that now," continued Healy.
"Ideally we won't need to repeat it but, if we do, we are confident we can do it."
These statements will be the final thing competing nations at this tournament should hear.
In recent days a belief they will succeed regardless of circumstances has become more firm - this victory following win against Pakistan by 107-run victory despite being 76-7 at one stage.
Following this Australia face Bangladesh before an encounter with old rivals England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a semi-final place may probably be guaranteed.
During that phase they were eliminated from the previous year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - a match Healy couldn't play because of ruptured tissue in her foot as she guided Australia for the first time at a significant event.
Such is her determination, she afterwards commented she wanted to have participated with the discomfort.
But while she subsequently acknowledged those physical issues have delayed 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 leader.
Victory in India would lead her to the peak of her ultimate challenge.