The Australian Team Breaks New Ground as Captain Alyssa Healy Has One Peak Left to Climb.
It's difficult for Australia to break new ground.
The greatest achievements have been successfully scaled.
This is the team that has won seven Cricket World Cups, along with another six T20 titles, and earlier maintained over three years undefeated in 50-over cricket.
The remaining milestones, targeted by the achievement hunters, are all that remain for a team that has accomplished all there is.
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It needed until Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase above 300, regaining their record for the biggest in the female 50-over format, is, frankly, a tribute to the pitchers that have sported the yellow jersey over five decades.
It's difficult for their hitters to hold a record if never given the chance.
In the end, the result of Australia conceding 330 was leader Alyssa Healy receiving a platform to create her newest gem.
Then best known as the teenage relative of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she first played in 2010 after her nation failed to win either of the T20 or ODI World Cups held the previous year and has experienced everything through 15 championship-filled years since.
A T20 championship victory came three months after her bow and seven world titles have followed from 10 tries across formats.
The determined wicketkeeper was present as well in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India momentarily interrupted the successful run.
That loss "motivated us to reevaluate our levels," Healy stated recently.
At the next 50-over World Cup 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 fail again.
The question of whether this newest brilliant performance topped that previous effort is debatable.
Certain people claim the reasoning behind final game tension. Others can counter with the challenge that comes when confronting a historic chase and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What is certain is this century was considerably tougher to predict.
The Christchurch destruction in 2022 came as she led the batting statistics, but this innings came after six matches in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had failed to pass 30.
"If you've been watching me in training, it was a frustrating experience because I feel like my form was missing whatsoever," stated Healy.
"However when you step out on the field, your competitive nature kick in and you simply focus on the competition."
Healy's competitiveness has consistently been her great strength - and a priceless quality in taking over from iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, dismissed by the emerging pace bowler in each encounter, but on this occasion it simply offered Healy's motivation.
A single was taken off the opening delivery and from that point the right-hander was in motion.
"A chance to go out there and engage in competition with her and simply enjoy myself in that regard, sort of got me going," stated Healy.
She got to fifty in 35 pitches - her swiftest at the global tournament - and her century in 84 as she flogged anything short, striking 21 boundaries and three sixes.
By the time she was dismissed Australia required another 66 at a run-a-ball - an achievable target now needing a comfortable finish.
"Chasing 330 runs is uncharted waters so I'm happy we have the confidence to achieve that now," continued Healy.
"Ideally we won't need to repeat it but, should it happen, we are confident we can do it."
That comment will be the last competing nations at this championship need to hear.
Over the past five days a sense they will triumph from any situation has become more firm - this triumph following success over Pakistan by 107 runs despite being 76-7 at one stage.
Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before a match against traditional opponents England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a semi-final place may likely be confirmed.
During that phase they exited last year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - a game Healy couldn't play because of torn tissue in her foot as she guided Australia for the initial instance at a major tournament.
So strong is her resolve, she afterwards commented she wished she had played with the discomfort.
Yet even as she afterwards confessed those physical issues have pushed back thoughts of retirement, this championship is likely to be her concluding event as leader in 50-over cricket and she is hasn't yet secured a world championship as leader.
Triumph in India would take her to the summit of her final mountain.
