The Australian Team Sets a New Benchmark as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's tough for Australia to achieve unprecedented feats.
The greatest achievements have been successfully scaled.
We're talking about the team that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, in addition to six more T20 titles, and once went 1,294 days undefeated in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, the ones sought by the peak baggers, are what's still available for a team that has won it all.
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That it took until Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to accomplish their maiden ODI chase exceeding 300, regaining their record for the highest in the women's 50-over format, is, frankly, a testament to the bowlers that have sported the yellow jersey over the last half-century.
It's challenging for their batters to hold a record if not afforded the chance.
Ultimately, the result of Australia giving up 330 runs was leader Alyssa Healy receiving an opportunity to deliver her most recent brilliance.
Then best known as the young family member of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after her nation failed to win either of the T20 or ODI World Cups conducted earlier and has witnessed all through 15 trophy-laden years since.
Success in the T20 World Cup arrived three months after her debut and seven international trophies have come from 10 tries across formats.
The determined wicketkeeper was also there in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India momentarily interrupted the run of success.
That loss "motivated us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy commented earlier.
At the subsequent ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the title decider and was declared player of the series. She guaranteed her country would not come up short.
The question of whether this newest brilliant performance surpassed that earlier display can be debated.
Many contend the reasoning behind championship match pressure. Others can counter with the difficulty that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.
What is certain is this ton was much more difficult to predict.
The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 came as she led the batting statistics, but this performance followed six innings in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had failed to pass 30.
"If you've observed me in the nets, it has been a challenging time because it seemed I lacked timing completely," stated Healy.
"But once you take the field, your fighting spirit take over and you simply focus on the match."
Healy's fighting spirit has always been her major advantage - and a priceless quality in taking over from legendary former captain Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, out to the emerging pace bowler in all three matches, but this time it merely gave Healy's inspiration.
One run resulted off Gaud's first delivery and from that point the batsman was on her way.
"The possibility to play and lock in a contest with her and just have a bit of fun that way, sort of got me going," stated Healy.
She got to fifty in 35 pitches - her swiftest at the World Cup - and her century in 84 as she punished short deliveries, scoring 21 fours and three maximums.
By the time she was removed the team needed 66 additional runs at a run-a-ball - a manageable total now demanding an easy conclusion.
"To chase 330 is uncharted waters so I'm happy we have the assurance to achieve that now," continued Healy.
"Ideally we won't need to repeat it but, if we do, we know we can do it."
Those words will be the ultimate thing rival teams at this tournament need to hear.
In recent days a belief they will win from any position has become more firm - this success succeeding success over Pakistan by 107 runs despite struggling at 76-7 at a certain moment.
Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before an encounter with traditional opponents England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a semi-final place may probably be guaranteed.
It was in the semi-finals they were eliminated from the previous year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - a match Healy missed because of torn tissue in her foot as she led her country for the inaugural occasion at a significant event.
So strong is her resolve, she subsequently stated she wanted to have participated despite the injury.
But while she afterwards confessed those injuries have postponed plans to retire, this tournament is expected to be her final tournament as skipper in 50-over cricket and she is still to achieve an international tournament as captain.
Triumph in India would lead her to the peak of her last major obstacle.