Australia Establishes a Fresh Record as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's tough for Australia to set fresh records.
The highest peaks have already been conquered.
We're talking about the team that has won seven Cricket World Cups, along with another six T20 titles, and earlier maintained 1,294 days without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The alternative records, targeted by the record chasers, are what's still available for a side that has won it all.
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It needed until Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to accomplish their maiden ODI chase above 300, taking back their record for the highest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, frankly, a testament to the bowlers that have sported the yellow jersey over the past 50 years.
It's challenging for their batsmen to maintain a record if not afforded the opportunity.
Finally, the outcome of Australia conceding 330 was leader Alyssa Healy getting an opportunity to produce her newest gem.
Originally famous as the 19-year-old niece of celebrated previous Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after her nation didn't secure either of the T20 or ODI World Cups held the previous year and has seen it all through 15 trophy-laden years since.
A T20 World Cup win happened three months after her debut and seven international trophies have come from 10 attempts across formats.
The gritty keeper was also there in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India momentarily interrupted the run of success.
That loss "pushed us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy stated recently.
At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy made 170 against England in the championship match and was named player of the tournament. She guaranteed her country would not come up short.
Whether this newest brilliant performance topped that previous effort remains open for discussion.
Certain people claim the reasoning behind the pressure of a final. Some might respond with the challenge that comes when confronting a historic chase and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What's definite is this century was considerably tougher to see coming.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 happened while she was the highest scorer, but this knock followed six innings in India since the start of last month in which she had not exceeded 30 runs.
"If you've been watching me in the nets, it has been a disappointing period because it seemed my form was missing completely," commented Healy.
"But once you enter the playing area, your competitive nature kick in and you completely engage with the competition."
Healy's fighting spirit has continuously been her key asset - and a priceless quality in succeeding famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's rising star Kranti Gaud in the previous month's ODI series, fallen to the emerging pace bowler in all three matches, but on this occasion it simply offered Healy's spark.
A single came off the bowler's initial ball and from that point Healy was on her way.
"An opportunity to play and engage in competition with her and merely enjoy the moment in that aspect, sort of got me going," said Healy.
She reached fifty in 35 deliveries - her fastest at a World Cup - and her hundred in 84 deliveries while she punished short deliveries, striking 21 boundaries and three sixes.
By the time she was removed the team needed 66 additional runs at run per delivery - an achievable target now needing a comfortable finish.
"Pursuing 330 is unfamiliar ground so I'm happy we have the belief to accomplish that now," added Healy.
"Hopefully we don't have to repeat it but, should it happen, we are confident we can achieve it."
Those words will be the last rival teams at this championship should hear.
During the last week a sense they will triumph from any situation has only strengthened - this victory following victory over Pakistan by 107-run victory despite sitting at 76-7 at one point.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before a match against longtime competitors England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a semi-final berth may likely be confirmed.
It was in the semi-finals they exited the previous year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - an encounter 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 afterwards commented she wanted to have participated despite the injury.
But while she subsequently acknowledged those injuries have delayed plans to retire, this tournament is likely to be her final tournament as skipper in 50-over cricket and she is yet to win an international tournament as leader.
Triumph in India would take her to the summit of her final mountain.