The Australian Team Sets a New Benchmark as Captain Alyssa Healy Faces One Final Mountain.
It's difficult for the Australian squad to set fresh records.
The top summits have been successfully scaled.
We're talking about the team that has won seven Cricket World Cups, along with six more T20 titles, and earlier maintained over three years undefeated in 50-over cricket.
The remaining milestones, targeted by the record chasers, are the only things left for a team that has accomplished all there is.
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That it took up to Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to accomplish their maiden ODI chase exceeding 300, taking back their record for the highest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, in truth, a compliment to the bowlers that have worn canary yellow over the last half-century.
It's difficult for their batters to possess a record if never given the opportunity.
In the end, the result of Australia conceding 330 was leader Alyssa Healy receiving an opportunity to create her latest masterpiece.
Then best known as the young family member of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after Australia couldn't capture either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups conducted earlier and has experienced everything through 15 championship-filled years since.
Success in the T20 World Cup happened three months after her bow and seven global championships have followed from 10 efforts across formats.
The gritty keeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India momentarily interrupted the run of success.
That loss "motivated us to reevaluate our levels," Healy commented earlier.
At the next 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, Healy made 170 against England in the title decider and was awarded tournament MVP. She guaranteed her country would not come up short.
The question of whether this recent magnificent innings surpassed that earlier display remains open for discussion.
Some will argue the reasoning behind the pressure of a final. Others can counter with the challenge that comes when confronting a historic chase and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What's definite is this hundred was much more difficult to see coming.
The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 came as she led the batting statistics, but this performance was preceded by six games 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's been a disappointing period because it seemed my form was missing whatsoever," commented Healy.
"Yet the moment you take the field, your competitive nature kick in and you completely engage with the match."
Healy's competitive nature has always been her great strength - and an irreplaceable characteristic in taking over from famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was troubled by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, fallen to the emerging pace bowler in each encounter, but here that only provided Healy's motivation.
A single came off Gaud's first delivery and after that Healy was in motion.
"A chance to take the field and face the challenge with her and simply enjoy myself in that aspect, sort of got me going," commented Healy.
She got to fifty in 35 pitches - her swiftest at the global tournament - and her hundred in 84 balls as she punished short deliveries, striking 21 boundaries and three maximums.
Once she was out her side needed 66 more at run per delivery - a manageable total now requiring a leisurely stroll.
"Pursuing 330 is unfamiliar ground so I'm happy we have the confidence to achieve that now," continued Healy.
"Ideally we won't need to do it another time but, if necessary, we believe we can do it."
That comment will be the last rival teams at this World Cup should hear.
In recent days a feeling they will win from any position has only strengthened - this triumph succeeding win against Pakistan by 107 runs despite sitting at 76-7 at a certain moment.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before an encounter with old rivals England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a semi-final berth may well be secure.
During that phase they left the previous year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - a match Healy missed because of torn tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the inaugural occasion at a significant event.
So strong is her resolve, she afterwards commented she wanted to have participated through the pain.
But while she afterwards confessed those physical issues have postponed thoughts of retirement, this World Cup is likely to be her final tournament as skipper in ODI cricket and she is yet to win an international tournament as leader.
Victory in India would take her to the summit of her final mountain.