The Australian Team Sets a New Benchmark as Captain Alyssa Healy Has One Peak Left to Climb.
It's tough for Australia to achieve unprecedented feats.
The greatest achievements have been successfully scaled.
We're talking about the team that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, along with an additional six T20 titles, and earlier maintained over three years unbeaten in 50-over cricket.
The alternative records, those for the record chasers, are the only things left for a side that has won it all.
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That it took as late as Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to complete their first ODI chase over 300, regaining their record for the largest in the women's 50-over format, is, frankly, a compliment to the bowling attack that have worn canary yellow over five decades.
It's challenging for their batsmen to maintain a record if not provided the opportunity.
Ultimately, the outcome of Australia conceding 330 was skipper Alyssa Healy getting an opportunity to produce her newest gem.
Originally famous as the teenage relative of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she first played in 2010 after her nation didn't secure either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups from the prior year and has experienced everything through 15 trophy-laden years since.
Success in the T20 World Cup arrived three months after her first appearance and seven world titles have resulted from 10 attempts across formats.
The determined wicketkeeper was present as well in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India temporarily stopped the run of success.
That loss "drove us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy stated recently.
At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the title decider and was declared player of the series. She guaranteed her country would not come up short.
Whether this newest brilliant performance topped that previous effort can be debated.
Some will argue the case for the pressure of a final. Some might respond with the test that comes when facing a record target and an enthusiastic Indian fanbase of 20,000.
What's clear is this ton was far harder to predict.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 happened while she led the batting statistics, but this knock followed six innings in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had failed to pass 30.
"For those following me in the nets, it's been a challenging time because it seemed I lacked timing completely," said Healy.
"However when you step out on the field, your competitive instincts activate and you completely engage with the competition."
Healy's competitive nature has continuously been her great strength - and an irreplaceable characteristic in replacing famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was challenged by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, fallen to the emerging pace bowler in each encounter, but on this occasion it simply offered Healy's motivation.
A single came off the opening delivery and from that point the batsman was underway.
"A chance to take the field and face the challenge with her and simply enjoy myself in that aspect, kind of motivated me," said Healy.
She achieved fifty in 35 balls - her quickest at a World Cup - and her hundred in 84 as she punished short deliveries, striking 21 boundaries and three maximums.
When she was dismissed Australia required another 66 at run per delivery - a manageable total now needing a comfortable finish.
"Pursuing 330 is unfamiliar ground so I'm happy we have the belief to accomplish that now," stated Healy further.
"Ideally we won't need to repeat it but, if necessary, we are confident we can succeed."
Those words will be the final thing Australia's opponents at this tournament need to hear.
In recent days a belief they will win from any position has only strengthened - this success succeeding win against Pakistan by 107-run victory despite sitting at 76-7 at one stage.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before a match against longtime competitors England in Indore in ten 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 an unexpected loss by South Africa - a game Healy missed because of damaged tissue in her foot as she guided Australia for the inaugural occasion at an important competition.
So great is her will, she afterwards commented she regretted not playing through the pain.
But while she subsequently acknowledged those fitness problems have delayed plans to retire, this World Cup is anticipated as her final tournament as skipper in ODI cricket and she is still to achieve a world championship as skipper.
Triumph in India would lead her to the peak of her last major obstacle.