Australia Breaks New Ground as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's a challenge for the Australian squad to break new ground.
The highest peaks have long been mastered.
We're talking about the team that has won seven Cricket World Cups, in addition to another six T20 titles, and earlier maintained 1,294 days without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The remaining milestones, those for the peak baggers, are what's still available for a team that has achieved everything.
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The fact it required until Sunday's victory by three wickets over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase over 300, reclaiming their record for the highest in the female 50-over format, is, frankly, a tribute to the bowling attack that have sported the yellow jersey over the past 50 years.
It is hard for their batsmen to maintain a record if not provided the opportunity.
Finally, the result of Australia allowing 330 runs was skipper Alyssa Healy getting a platform to produce her most recent brilliance.
Then best known as the young family member of celebrated previous Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she first played in 2010 after her country didn't secure either of the T20 or ODI 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 international trophies have come from 10 attempts across formats.
The determined wicketkeeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a last-four loss by India momentarily interrupted the winning streak.
That loss "motivated us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy stated recently.
At the subsequent ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Healy hit 170 against England in the title decider and was named player of the tournament. She guaranteed her country would not fall short again.
If this recent magnificent innings topped that previous effort is debatable.
Some will argue the argument supporting final game tension. Different voices suggest with the challenge that comes when facing a record target and an enthusiastic Indian fanbase of 20,000.
What's clear is this hundred was much more difficult to predict.
The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 came as she was the highest scorer, but this innings was preceded by six games in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had not exceeded 30 runs.
"For those following me in training, it has been a disappointing period because I feel like I've had no rhythm whatsoever," said Healy.
"Yet the moment you enter the playing area, your competitive instincts take over and you simply focus on the contest."
Healy's competitiveness has consistently been her great strength - and an invaluable trait in taking over from famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was challenged by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, dismissed by the 22-year-old seamer in all three matches, but here that only provided Healy's inspiration.
A single was taken off the opening delivery and after that the batsman was in motion.
"The possibility to take the field and face the challenge with her and merely enjoy the moment in that aspect, sort of got me going," stated Healy.
She got to fifty in 35 balls - her fastest at the World Cup - and her hundred in 84 deliveries while she punished short deliveries, striking 21 boundaries and three big hits.
By the time she was out the team required another 66 at a run-a-ball - a manageable total now needing a comfortable finish.
"Chasing 330 runs is uncharted waters so I am glad we have the belief to achieve that now," stated Healy further.
"Hopefully we don't have to do it another time but, if necessary, we believe we can do it."
Those words will be the last competing nations at this World Cup should hear.
Over the past five days a belief they will win from any position has grown stronger - this success following success over Pakistan by 107 run margin despite struggling at 76-7 at a certain moment.
Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before an encounter with longtime competitors England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a last-four spot may well be secure.
It was in the semi-finals they left the prior year's T20 World Cup in an unexpected loss by South Africa - a match Healy missed because of damaged 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 despite the injury.
Yet even as she subsequently acknowledged those injuries have delayed consideration of ending her career, this championship is likely to be her concluding event as leader in one-day cricket and she is hasn't yet secured a global event as captain.
Triumph in India would bring her to the top of her ultimate challenge.