Australia Breaks New Ground as Healy Faces One Final Mountain.

Video Description: Healy Leads Record Chase as Australia Beat India

It's a challenge for Australia to achieve unprecedented feats.

The highest peaks have been successfully scaled.

This is the team that has won seven Cricket World Cups, plus another six T20 titles, and earlier maintained 1,294 days undefeated in 50-over cricket.

The secondary achievements, targeted by the achievement hunters, are all that remain for a squad that has achieved everything.

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That it took up to Sunday's victory by three wickets over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase exceeding 300, regaining their record for the highest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, honestly, a testament to the pitchers that have sported the yellow jersey over five decades.

It is hard for their batsmen to possess a record if never given the possibility.

In the end, the consequence of Australia allowing 330 runs was skipper Alyssa Healy receiving a chance to deliver her most recent brilliance.

Then best known as the young family member of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after Australia couldn't capture either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups conducted earlier and has witnessed all through 15 successful years since.

A T20 championship victory came three months after her bow and seven global championships have come from 10 efforts across formats.

The determined wicketkeeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India temporarily stopped the run of success.

That loss "pushed us to reevaluate our levels," Healy commented earlier.

At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the championship match and was awarded tournament MVP. She made sure her country would not come up short.

The question of whether this recent magnificent innings surpassed that earlier display remains open for discussion.

Some will argue the reasoning behind championship match pressure. Others can counter with the challenge that comes when confronting a historic chase and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.

What's definite is this century was considerably tougher to see coming.

The Christchurch carnage in 2022 occurred when 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 not exceeded 30 runs.

"If you've been watching me in the nets, it has been a disappointing period because it seemed I lacked timing at all," said Healy.

"But once you take the field, your competitive instincts take over and you just lock into the match."

Media Caption: 'Excellent' Healy Hits 142 to Aid Australia Achieve Historic Pursuit

Healy's competitive nature has consistently been her great strength - and an irreplaceable characteristic in replacing legendary former captain Meg Lanning.

She was troubled by India's rising star Kranti Gaud in the previous month's ODI series, dismissed by the 22-year-old seamer in every game, but here that only provided Healy's motivation.

One run resulted off the opening delivery and after that the right-hander was on her way.

"A chance to play and engage in competition with her and merely enjoy the moment in that aspect, sort of got me going," stated Healy.

She achieved fifty in 35 balls - her quickest at the global tournament - and her ton in 84 as she punished short deliveries, hitting 21 fours and three sixes.

By the time she was dismissed her side needed 66 more at one run per ball - a manageable total now requiring a leisurely stroll.

"Chasing 330 runs is new territory so I'm pleased we have the assurance to accomplish that now," added Healy.

"Ideally we won't need to do it again but, if necessary, we believe we can do it."

That comment will be the ultimate thing rival teams at this tournament should hear.

Over the past five days a belief they will triumph from any situation has only strengthened - this success coming after win against Pakistan by 107 runs despite sitting at 76-7 at one stage.

Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before an encounter with longtime competitors England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a semi-final berth may likely be confirmed.

It was at that stage they left the prior year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - a match Healy missed because of damaged tissue in her foot as she guided Australia for the inaugural occasion at a significant event.

Such is her determination, she afterwards commented she wished she had played through the pain.

But while she afterwards confessed those fitness problems have pushed back consideration of ending her career, this World Cup is expected to be her final tournament as skipper in ODI cricket and she is still to achieve an international tournament as skipper.

Success in India would lead her to the peak of her last major obstacle.

Danielle Johnson
Danielle Johnson

Elara Vance is a UK-based health journalist with a decade of experience covering wellness trends and medical breakthroughs.