Australia Breaks New Ground as Healy Faces One Final Mountain.
It's tough for Australia to break new ground.
The greatest achievements have long been mastered.
This is the team that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, plus an additional six T20 titles, and previously enjoyed nearly four years without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The remaining milestones, those for the peak baggers, are the only things left 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 above 300, taking back their record for the largest in the women's 50-over format, is, in truth, a compliment to the bowling attack that have represented Australia over five decades.
It's difficult for their batsmen to possess a record if not provided the opportunity.
In the end, the outcome of Australia allowing 330 runs was captain Alyssa Healy being given a platform to create her most recent brilliance.
Initially recognized as the teenage relative of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after her country didn't secure either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups from the prior year and has seen it all through 15 trophy-laden years since.
Success in the T20 World Cup happened three months after her first appearance and seven international trophies have followed from 10 tries across formats.
The determined wicketkeeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India momentarily interrupted the winning streak.
That loss "pushed us to reevaluate our levels," Healy said this week.
At the next 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the championship match and was declared player of the series. She made sure her country would not fall short again.
The question of whether this latest epic knock exceeded that prior achievement remains open for discussion.
Some will argue the case for championship match pressure. Different voices suggest with the test that comes when facing a record target and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What's definite is this century was far harder to anticipate.
The Christchurch destruction in 2022 happened while she was the highest scorer, but this knock came after six matches in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had failed to pass 30.
"If you've been watching me in practice sessions, it has been a frustrating experience because it seemed my form was missing whatsoever," commented Healy.
"But once you take the field, your fighting spirit take over and you completely engage with the match."
Healy's fighting spirit has continuously been her key asset - and an invaluable trait in succeeding legendary former captain Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in the previous month's ODI series, dismissed by the 22-year-old seamer in all three matches, but this time it merely gave Healy's inspiration.
One run resulted off Gaud's first delivery and from there the batsman was in motion.
"An opportunity to take the field and engage in competition with her and just have a bit of fun in that regard, sort of got me going," said Healy.
She got to fifty in 35 balls - her swiftest at the World Cup - and her hundred in 84 balls as she attacked short-pitched balls, hitting 21 fours and three maximums.
By the time she was out Australia needed 66 more at a run-a-ball - an unconquered height now needing a comfortable finish.
"Pursuing 330 is new territory so I'm happy we have the confidence to accomplish that now," added Healy.
"Preferably we shouldn't have to do it another time but, if we do, we know we can do it."
Those words will be the final thing rival teams at this World Cup want to hear.
In recent days a sense they will win from any position has grown stronger - this triumph following victory over Pakistan by 107-run victory despite sitting at 76-7 at one stage.
Following this Australia face Bangladesh before a meeting with old rivals England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a last-four spot may probably be guaranteed.
It was in the semi-finals they were eliminated from last year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - an encounter 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 strong is her resolve, she afterwards commented she wanted to have participated despite the injury.
But while she afterwards confessed those injuries have delayed thoughts of retirement, this championship is expected to be her concluding event as leader in 50-over cricket and she is hasn't yet secured an international tournament as leader.
Triumph in India would bring her to the top of her final mountain.