Australia Establishes a Fresh Record as Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's a challenge for the Australian squad to break new ground.
The top summits have long been mastered.
This is the squad that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, along with six more T20 titles, and once went over three years unbeaten in 50-over cricket.
The remaining milestones, targeted by the record chasers, are what's still available for a side that has accomplished all there is.
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The fact it required as late as Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to accomplish their maiden ODI chase above 300, taking back their record for the highest in the women's 50-over format, is, in truth, a compliment to the pitchers that have sported the yellow jersey over the past 50 years.
It is hard for their hitters to possess a record if never given the chance.
Ultimately, the result of Australia allowing 330 runs was leader Alyssa Healy getting a platform to create her most recent brilliance.
Originally famous as the 19-year-old niece of celebrated previous Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after Australia didn't secure either of the T20 or ODI World Cups held the previous year and has experienced everything through 15 successful years since.
A T20 World Cup win arrived three months after her first appearance and seven global championships have resulted from 10 attempts across formats.
The tough gloveman was present as well in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India momentarily interrupted the run of success.
That loss "motivated us to reevaluate our levels," Healy stated recently.
At the subsequent ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Healy made 170 against England in the championship match and was declared player of the series. She ensured her country would not come up short.
The question of whether this latest epic knock surpassed that earlier display is debatable.
Some will argue the reasoning behind final game tension. Different voices suggest 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 predict.
The Christchurch destruction in 2022 occurred when she led the batting statistics, but this knock followed six innings 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 has been a frustrating experience because it seemed my form was missing at all," commented Healy.
"However when you step out on the field, your competitive nature take over and you just lock into the match."
Healy's competitiveness has always been her major advantage - and an irreplaceable characteristic in taking over from famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was challenged by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in the previous month's ODI series, fallen to the 22-year-old seamer in all three matches, but here that only provided Healy's inspiration.
A single came off the opening delivery and from there the right-hander was on her way.
"An opportunity to play and engage in competition with her and simply enjoy myself in that regard, sort of got me going," commented Healy.
She achieved fifty in 35 balls - her fastest at a World Cup - and her century in 84 deliveries while she punished short deliveries, scoring 21 fours and three big hits.
Once she was dismissed her side required another 66 at one run per ball - an achievable target now needing a comfortable finish.
"Chasing 330 runs is new territory so I'm happy we have the belief to achieve that now," added Healy.
"Preferably we shouldn't have to repeat it but, should it happen, we believe we can achieve it."
These statements will be the final thing rival teams at this tournament want to hear.
Over the past five days a sense they will triumph from any situation has grown stronger - this triumph coming after success over Pakistan by 107-run victory 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 likely be confirmed.
It was at that stage they were eliminated from last year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - an encounter Healy missed because of ruptured tissue in her foot as she guided Australia for the initial instance at a major tournament.
So great is her will, she subsequently stated she wished she had played despite the injury.
Yet even as she afterwards confessed those injuries have postponed plans to retire, this championship is expected to be her last as captain in one-day cricket and she is yet to win a world championship as captain.
Triumph in India would take her to the summit of her ultimate challenge.