Australia Establishes a Fresh Record as Healy Has One Peak Left to Climb.
It's a challenge for Australia to achieve unprecedented feats.
The top summits have long been mastered.
We're talking about the team that has won seven Cricket World Cups, along with another six T20 titles, and previously enjoyed over three years without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, those for the record chasers, are what's still available for a team that has achieved everything.
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The fact it required up to Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase above 300, taking back their record for the highest in the female 50-over format, is, frankly, a tribute to the bowlers that have represented Australia over the past 50 years.
It is hard for their batters to possess a record if not afforded the opportunity.
In the end, the result of Australia giving up 330 runs was leader Alyssa Healy getting a chance to deliver her latest masterpiece.
Then best known as the teenage relative of celebrated previous Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after her country failed to win either of the T20 or ODI World Cups conducted earlier and has experienced everything through 15 trophy-laden years since.
A T20 World Cup win happened three months after her debut and seven international trophies have come from 10 attempts across formats.
The determined wicketkeeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India briefly halted the successful run.
That loss "motivated us to reevaluate our levels," Healy stated recently.
At the subsequent ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the title decider and was named player of the tournament. She made sure her country would not fail again.
Whether this newest brilliant performance surpassed that earlier display remains open for discussion.
Some will argue the argument supporting championship match pressure. Others can counter with the difficulty that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.
What's definite is this century was far harder to see coming.
The Christchurch destruction in 2022 occurred when she led the batting statistics, but this knock was preceded by six games in India over the past few weeks in which she had not exceeded 30 runs.
"If you've been watching me in training, it has been a frustrating experience because it seemed I lacked timing completely," commented Healy.
"However when you take the field, your fighting spirit take over and you completely engage with the match."
Healy's competitiveness has always been her major advantage - and an irreplaceable characteristic in replacing legendary former captain Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in the previous month's ODI series, out to the emerging pace bowler in each encounter, but here that only provided Healy's motivation.
A single was taken off the opening delivery and from there the right-hander was in motion.
"The possibility to play and engage in competition with her and simply enjoy myself in that regard, somewhat inspired me," commented Healy.
She achieved fifty in 35 deliveries - her fastest at a World Cup - and her hundred in 84 balls as she attacked short-pitched balls, scoring 21 fours and three sixes.
By the time she was dismissed the team needed 66 more at a run-a-ball - an unconquered height now demanding an easy conclusion.
"To chase 330 is new territory so I'm happy we have the assurance to achieve that now," continued Healy.
"Preferably we shouldn't have to repeat it but, if necessary, we are confident we can succeed."
That comment will be the ultimate thing competing nations at this championship want to hear.
In recent days a feeling they will succeed regardless of circumstances has grown stronger - this triumph following victory over Pakistan by 107 runs despite being 76-7 at a certain moment.
Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before a match against longtime competitors England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a semi-final place may likely be confirmed.
It was at that stage they were eliminated from the previous year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - an encounter Healy was absent due to torn tissue in her foot as she led her country for the first time at an important competition.
Such is her determination, she subsequently stated she wished she had played through the pain.
But while she subsequently acknowledged those physical issues have pushed back consideration of ending her career, this championship is expected to be her concluding event as leader in one-day cricket and she is still to achieve an international tournament as skipper.
Success in India would bring her to the top of her last major obstacle.
