The Australian Team Establishes a Fresh Record as Healy Faces One Final Mountain.
It's a challenge for Australia to break new ground.
The greatest achievements have long been mastered.
We're talking about the squad that has won 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, targeted by the peak baggers, are all that remain for a side that has accomplished all there is.
- Healy's Hundred Helps Australia to Record Chase
- ICC Women's World Cup 2025 - Schedule, Outcomes & Details
- Women's World Cup Table, Top Run-Scorers & Leading Bowlers
It needed up to Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase over 300, taking back their record for the biggest in the women's 50-over format, is, honestly, a testament to the pitchers that have represented Australia over the past 50 years.
It's challenging for their batters to maintain a record if not provided the opportunity.
In the end, the result of Australia conceding 330 was captain Alyssa Healy getting a chance to produce her latest masterpiece.
Then best known as the young family member of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after her nation didn't secure either of the T20 or ODI World Cups held the previous year and has seen it all through 15 successful years since.
A T20 championship victory happened three months after her bow and seven world titles have followed from 10 tries across formats.
The determined wicketkeeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a last-four loss by India momentarily interrupted the successful run.
That loss "motivated us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy stated recently.
At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy made 170 against England in the championship match and was named player of the tournament. She made sure her country would not fall short again.
The question of whether this newest brilliant performance surpassed that earlier display remains open for discussion.
Certain people claim the case for final game tension. Some might respond with the test that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What's clear is this hundred was much more difficult to anticipate.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 happened while she topped the run-scoring charts, but this performance followed six innings in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"If you've been watching me in practice sessions, it was a challenging time because I feel like my form was missing at all," said Healy.
"However when you take the field, your competitive instincts take over and you completely engage with the contest."
Healy's fighting spirit has always been her great strength - and a priceless quality in taking over from iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.
She was troubled by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in the previous month's ODI series, dismissed by the emerging pace bowler in all three matches, but here that only provided Healy's spark.
A single was taken off Gaud's first delivery and after that the batsman was underway.
"An opportunity to play and engage in competition with her and just have a bit of fun in that aspect, kind of motivated me," said Healy.
She reached fifty in 35 balls - her fastest at the World Cup - and her ton in 84 as she attacked short-pitched balls, striking 21 boundaries and three sixes.
Once she was out the team required another 66 at one run per ball - an unconquered height now requiring a leisurely stroll.
"Chasing 330 runs is unfamiliar ground so I'm happy we have the confidence to accomplish that now," stated Healy further.
"Hopefully we don't have to do it another time but, should it happen, we know we can succeed."
That comment will be the last Australia's opponents at this tournament need to hear.
During the last week a feeling they will win from any position has grown stronger - this victory coming after success over Pakistan by 107 runs despite being 76-7 at one point.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before a meeting with old rivals England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a semi-final berth may probably be guaranteed.
During that phase they left 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 led her country for the inaugural occasion at a major tournament.
So strong is her resolve, she subsequently stated she wanted to have participated with the discomfort.
Yet even as she subsequently acknowledged those fitness problems have pushed back consideration of ending her career, this tournament is anticipated as her concluding event as leader in ODI cricket and she is still to achieve an international tournament as skipper.
Triumph in India would lead her to the peak of her last major obstacle.