Australia Breaks New Ground as Healy Has One Peak Left to Climb.
It's difficult for the Australian squad to set fresh records.
The highest peaks have long been mastered.
This is the unit that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, plus an additional six T20 titles, and earlier maintained nearly four years unbeaten in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, those for the achievement hunters, are the only things left for a side that has accomplished all there is.
- Healy's Century Helps Australia to Unprecedented Chase
- Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 - Fixtures, Results & Scorecards
- Tournament Standings, Leading Batsmen & Leading Bowlers
It needed until Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase exceeding 300, taking back their record for the biggest in the female 50-over format, is, honestly, a tribute to the bowlers that have worn canary yellow over the last half-century.
It is hard for their hitters to possess a record if not provided the chance.
In the end, the consequence of Australia giving up 330 runs was captain Alyssa Healy getting an opportunity to deliver her most recent brilliance.
Initially recognized as the 19-year-old niece of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after her country didn't secure either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups conducted earlier and has witnessed all through 15 successful years since.
A T20 World Cup win arrived three months after her bow and seven international trophies have resulted from 10 tries across formats.
The determined wicketkeeper was also there in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India momentarily interrupted the run of success.
That loss "pushed us to rethink our standards," Healy stated recently.
At the subsequent ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the championship match and was named player of the tournament. She guaranteed her country would not come up short.
The question of whether this latest epic knock surpassed that earlier display is debatable.
Certain people claim the argument supporting championship match pressure. Some might respond with the test that comes when confronting a historic chase and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What's clear is this century was considerably tougher to anticipate.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 came as she led the batting statistics, but this knock came after six matches in India over the past few weeks in which she had failed to pass 30.
"For those following me in training, it has been a challenging time because it appeared I've had no rhythm whatsoever," commented Healy.
"However when you step out on the field, your fighting spirit take over and you completely engage with the contest."
Healy's fighting spirit has always been her great strength - and an invaluable trait in taking over from famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, fallen to the emerging pace bowler in each encounter, but here that only provided Healy's inspiration.
One run resulted off the bowler's initial ball and from that point the batsman was in motion.
"The possibility to play and engage in competition with her and simply enjoy myself that way, sort of got me going," said Healy.
She achieved fifty in 35 pitches - her swiftest at the global tournament - and her hundred in 84 deliveries while she attacked short-pitched balls, striking 21 boundaries and three maximums.
Once she was dismissed the team needed 66 more at a run-a-ball - an achievable target now requiring a leisurely stroll.
"Chasing 330 runs is uncharted waters so I'm pleased we have the confidence to achieve that now," stated Healy further.
"Hopefully we don't have to do it another time but, if we do, we believe we can do it."
That comment will be the ultimate thing rival teams at this tournament should hear.
During the last week a feeling they will win from any position has grown stronger - this victory succeeding success over Pakistan by 107-run victory despite sitting at 76-7 at one point.
Following this Australia face Bangladesh before a match against traditional opponents England in Indore in ten days, by which point a semi-final berth may likely be confirmed.
It was at that stage they exited last year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - an encounter Healy was absent due to ruptured tissue in her foot as she guided Australia for the first time at an important competition.
So strong is her resolve, she afterwards commented she regretted not playing through the pain.
Yet even as she afterwards confessed those injuries have pushed back plans to retire, this tournament is expected to be her last as captain in one-day cricket and she is yet to win a world championship as captain.
Victory in India would bring her to the top of her last major obstacle.
