The Australian Team Sets a New Benchmark as Healy Has One Peak Left to Climb.
It's tough for the Australian squad to set fresh records.
The greatest achievements have long been mastered.
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 undefeated in 50-over cricket.
The alternative records, targeted by the achievement hunters, are what's still available for a team that has won it all.
- Healy's Hundred Aids Australia to Historic Pursuit
- Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 - Schedule, Outcomes & Details
- Tournament Standings, Leading Batsmen & Wicket-Takers
It needed until Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to accomplish their maiden ODI chase above 300, taking back 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 last half-century.
It's challenging for their hitters to possess a record if never given the chance.
In the end, the consequence of Australia giving up 330 runs was leader Alyssa Healy being given an opportunity to produce her newest gem.
Originally famous as the 19-year-old niece of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after her nation failed to win either of the T20 or ODI World Cups from the prior year and has witnessed all through 15 trophy-laden years since.
A T20 championship victory happened three months after her bow and seven world titles have come from 10 efforts across formats.
The gritty keeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India temporarily stopped the run of success.
That loss "motivated us to reevaluate our levels," Healy commented earlier.
At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy hit 170 against England in the championship match and was declared player of the series. She made sure her country would not fall short again.
If this latest epic knock surpassed that earlier display can be debated.
Some will argue the reasoning behind the pressure of a final. Different voices suggest with the difficulty that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and an enthusiastic Indian fanbase of 20,000.
What's clear is this hundred was considerably tougher to anticipate.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 came as she topped the run-scoring charts, but this performance was preceded by six games in India since the start of last month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"If you've been watching me in training, it has been a challenging time because I feel like my form was missing whatsoever," said Healy.
"But once you step out on the field, your fighting spirit activate and you completely engage with the match."
Healy's competitiveness has continuously been her great strength - and an invaluable trait in taking over from legendary former captain Meg Lanning.
She was challenged by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, dismissed by the young fast bowler in all three matches, but this time it merely gave Healy's spark.
One run resulted off Gaud's first delivery and after that Healy was in motion.
"An opportunity to take the field and engage in competition with her and merely enjoy the moment that way, sort of got me going," stated Healy.
She achieved fifty in 35 deliveries - her fastest at the global tournament - and her hundred in 84 as she punished short deliveries, striking 21 boundaries and three maximums.
By the time she was dismissed the team needed 66 more at one run per ball - an achievable target now demanding an easy conclusion.
"Pursuing 330 is new territory so I'm happy we have the belief to do that now," added Healy.
"Preferably we shouldn't have to do it another time but, if necessary, we are confident we can achieve it."
That comment will be the last Australia's opponents at this tournament need to hear.
During the last week a sense they will win from any position has only strengthened - this success succeeding win against Pakistan by 107 runs despite struggling at 76-7 at one point.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before a match against longtime competitors England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a semi-final berth may probably be guaranteed.
It was at that stage they were eliminated from last year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - an encounter Healy was absent due to torn tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the first time at a major tournament.
So great is her will, she later said she regretted not playing despite the injury.
However although she afterwards confessed those fitness problems have delayed thoughts of retirement, this World Cup is likely to be her final tournament as skipper in ODI cricket and she is hasn't yet secured a world championship as leader.
Victory in India would take her to the summit of her last major obstacle.
