Australia Sets a New Benchmark as Healy Faces One Final Mountain.
It's tough for the Australian squad to achieve unprecedented feats.
The highest peaks have long been mastered.
We're talking about the team that has won seven Cricket World Cups, plus an additional six T20 titles, and earlier maintained over three years undefeated in 50-over cricket.
The remaining milestones, targeted by the record chasers, are all that remain for a squad that has won it all.
- Healy's Hundred Helps Australia to Unprecedented Chase
- ICC Women's World Cup 2025 - Matches, Results & Statistics
- Women's World Cup Table, Top Run-Scorers & Wicket-Takers
The fact it required up to Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase exceeding 300, taking back their record for the largest in the female 50-over format, is, frankly, a testament to the bowling attack that have sported the yellow jersey over five decades.
It's challenging for their hitters to hold a record if never given the chance.
Ultimately, the consequence of Australia allowing 330 runs was skipper Alyssa Healy receiving a chance to create her most recent brilliance.
Initially recognized as the teenage relative of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after Australia failed to win either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups conducted earlier and has seen it all 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 efforts across formats.
The determined wicketkeeper was present as well in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India briefly halted the successful run.
That loss "motivated us to rethink our standards," 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 ensured her country would not come up short.
Whether this newest brilliant performance exceeded that prior achievement is debatable.
Some will argue the argument supporting the pressure of a final. Different voices suggest with the test that comes when facing a record target and an enthusiastic Indian fanbase of 20,000.
What's clear is this hundred was far harder to predict.
The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 occurred when she was the highest scorer, but this innings followed six innings in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"If you've been watching me in the nets, it was a frustrating experience because it appeared my form was missing completely," said Healy.
"But once you enter the playing area, your competitive nature activate and you simply focus on the match."
Healy's competitiveness has continuously been her major advantage - and an invaluable trait in succeeding famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was troubled by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, fallen to the 22-year-old seamer in each encounter, but here that only provided Healy's spark.
A single was taken off the opening delivery and from that point Healy was in motion.
"The possibility to play and engage in competition with her and just have a bit of fun in that aspect, kind of motivated me," stated Healy.
She achieved fifty in 35 deliveries - her fastest at the World Cup - and her hundred in 84 as she attacked short-pitched balls, scoring 21 fours and three sixes.
By the time she was out her side required another 66 at one run per ball - a manageable total now demanding an easy conclusion.
"To chase 330 is unfamiliar ground so I'm happy we have the confidence to achieve that now," added Healy.
"Hopefully we don't have to do it another time but, if we do, we know we can achieve it."
These statements will be the final thing rival teams at this championship need to hear.
Over the past five days a belief they will triumph from any situation has only strengthened - this success following victory over Pakistan by 107 run margin despite being 76-7 at a certain moment.
Following this Australia face Bangladesh before a meeting with traditional opponents England in Indore in ten days, by which point a semi-final place may well be secure.
During that phase they exited the previous year's T20 World Cup in an unexpected loss by South Africa - a match Healy couldn't play because of ruptured tissue in her foot as she led her country for the first time at a significant event.
So great is her will, she afterwards commented she wished she had played through the pain.
Yet even as she later admitted those fitness problems have delayed thoughts of retirement, this World Cup is anticipated as her final tournament as skipper in ODI cricket and she is still to achieve a global event as skipper.
Success in India would lead her to the peak of her last major obstacle.