Australia Breaks New Ground as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's tough for the Australian squad to break new ground.
The highest peaks have already been conquered.
This is the team that has claimed seven Cricket World Cups, along with six more T20 titles, and once went nearly four years without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The remaining milestones, targeted by the achievement hunters, are the only things left for a side that has won it all.
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The fact it required until Sunday's victory by three wickets over India for them to accomplish their maiden ODI chase exceeding 300, reclaiming their record for the highest in the women's 50-over format, is, in truth, a compliment to the bowlers that have worn canary yellow over the last half-century.
It's challenging for their batters to possess a record if never given the chance.
Ultimately, the consequence of Australia conceding 330 was leader Alyssa Healy receiving a platform to create her latest masterpiece.
Then best known as the 19-year-old niece of celebrated previous Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after her country couldn't capture either of the T20 or ODI World Cups held the previous year and has experienced everything through 15 trophy-laden years since.
Success in the T20 World Cup arrived three months after her debut and seven global championships have resulted from 10 efforts across formats.
The tough gloveman was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a last-four loss by India temporarily stopped the winning streak.
That loss "motivated us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy commented earlier.
At the next 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, Healy hit 170 against England in the final and was named player of the tournament. She made sure her country would not fail again.
Whether this recent magnificent innings surpassed that earlier display remains open for discussion.
Some will argue the argument supporting the pressure of a final. Others can counter with the test that comes when confronting a historic chase and an enthusiastic Indian fanbase of 20,000.
What's definite is this hundred was much more difficult to predict.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 came as she led the batting statistics, but this innings was preceded by six games in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"For those following me in practice sessions, it was a frustrating experience because it appeared I lacked timing at all," said Healy.
"However when you step out on the field, your competitive nature take over and you simply focus on the match."
Healy's competitiveness has continuously been her great strength - and an invaluable trait in replacing iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.
She was challenged by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, fallen to the emerging pace bowler in all three matches, but this time it merely gave Healy's motivation.
A single was taken off Gaud's first delivery and after that the right-hander was on her way.
"A chance to go out there and engage in competition with her and just have a bit of fun that way, sort of got me going," said Healy.
She achieved fifty in 35 balls - her swiftest at the global tournament - and her ton in 84 deliveries while she punished short deliveries, hitting 21 fours and three maximums.
Once she was removed Australia needed 66 additional runs at one run per ball - a manageable total now demanding an easy conclusion.
"Chasing 330 runs is new territory so I'm happy we have the belief to accomplish that now," added Healy.
"Ideally we won't need to repeat it but, if necessary, we believe we can do it."
That comment will be the last rival teams at this tournament want to hear.
During the last week a sense they will triumph from any situation has become more firm - this victory succeeding success over Pakistan by 107 run margin despite struggling at 76-7 at one stage.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before a match against old rivals England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a semi-final berth may well be secure.
It was in the semi-finals they exited the previous year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - a game Healy couldn't play because of ruptured tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the first time at a significant event.
Such is her determination, she subsequently stated she wanted to have participated through the pain.
Yet even as she later admitted those fitness problems have delayed thoughts of retirement, this championship is anticipated as her final tournament as skipper in ODI cricket and she is hasn't yet secured an international tournament as skipper.
Success in India would lead her to the peak of her last major obstacle.