Australia Breaks New Ground as Healy Has One Peak Left to Climb.
It's difficult for the Australian squad to break new ground.
The greatest achievements have been successfully scaled.
This is the unit that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, along with six more T20 titles, and previously enjoyed nearly four years without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, those for the record chasers, are the only things left for a team that has accomplished all there is.
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It needed up to Sunday's victory by three wickets over India for them to complete their first ODI chase exceeding 300, regaining their record for the biggest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, frankly, a tribute to the bowlers that have represented Australia over the last half-century.
It is hard for their hitters to possess a record if not afforded the chance.
Finally, the consequence of Australia allowing 330 runs was leader Alyssa Healy being given an opportunity to create her most recent brilliance.
Originally famous as the teenage relative of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after her country failed to win either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups held the previous year and has witnessed all through 15 championship-filled years since.
Success in the T20 World Cup came three months after her first appearance and seven world titles have followed from 10 attempts across formats.
The gritty keeper was also there in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India temporarily stopped the successful run.
That loss "drove us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy stated recently.
At the subsequent ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the championship match and was named player of the tournament. She made sure her country would not fail again.
Whether this recent magnificent innings topped that previous effort can be debated.
Certain people claim the reasoning behind championship match pressure. Others can counter with the challenge that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.
What's definite is this hundred was far harder to predict.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 came as she was the highest scorer, but this knock came after six matches in India since the start of last month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"If you've observed me in training, it's been a frustrating experience because it seemed my form was missing whatsoever," commented Healy.
"Yet the moment you enter the playing area, your competitive instincts kick in and you completely engage with the match."
Healy's competitive nature has consistently been her great strength - and an invaluable trait in succeeding iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in the previous month's ODI series, out to the emerging pace bowler in each encounter, but here that only provided Healy's motivation.
One run resulted off the bowler's initial ball and after that Healy was in motion.
"A chance to go out there and engage in competition with her and simply enjoy myself in that regard, kind of motivated me," commented Healy.
She achieved fifty in 35 pitches - her quickest at a World Cup - and her hundred in 84 deliveries while she punished short deliveries, striking 21 boundaries and three maximums.
By the time she was dismissed the team needed 66 more at run per delivery - an achievable target now demanding an easy conclusion.
"Pursuing 330 is uncharted waters so I'm pleased we have the belief to do that now," continued Healy.
"Ideally we won't need to repeat it but, should it happen, we believe we can succeed."
Those words will be the ultimate thing competing nations at this World Cup should hear.
During the last week a sense they will win from any position has only strengthened - this success coming after victory over Pakistan by 107-run victory despite sitting at 76-7 at one point.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before a match against old rivals England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a last-four spot may likely be confirmed.
During that phase they were eliminated from the prior year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - a match Healy was absent due to torn tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the initial instance at a significant event.
So strong is her resolve, she later said she wanted to have participated with the discomfort.
However although she later admitted those physical issues have delayed plans to retire, this World Cup is likely to be her concluding event as leader in one-day cricket and she is hasn't yet secured a world championship as leader.
Victory in India would take her to the summit of her final mountain.
