The Australian Team Breaks New Ground as Captain Alyssa Healy Faces One Final Mountain.
It's tough for Australia to achieve unprecedented feats.
The highest peaks have long been mastered.
We're talking about the unit that has claimed seven Cricket World Cups, along with another six T20 titles, and once went over three years undefeated in 50-over cricket.
The remaining milestones, targeted by the achievement hunters, are the only things left for a team that has won it all.
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The fact it required up to Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to complete their first ODI chase above 300, regaining their record for the biggest in the women's 50-over format, is, honestly, a compliment to the bowling attack that have worn canary yellow over the last half-century.
It's difficult for their hitters to maintain a record if never given the opportunity.
Finally, the outcome of Australia conceding 330 was captain Alyssa Healy receiving an opportunity to deliver her newest gem.
Initially recognized as the young family member of celebrated previous Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she first played in 2010 after Australia couldn't capture either of the T20 or ODI World Cups from the prior year and has seen it all through 15 championship-filled years since.
A T20 World Cup win happened three months after her first appearance and seven world titles have come from 10 attempts across formats.
The gritty keeper was present as well in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India briefly halted the winning streak.
That loss "drove us to rethink our standards," Healy said this week.
At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy made 170 against England in the final and was named player of the tournament. She made sure her country would not fall short again.
Whether this newest brilliant performance surpassed that earlier display can be debated.
Some will argue the argument supporting final game tension. Others can counter with the challenge that comes when confronting a historic chase and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.
What's clear is this hundred was considerably tougher to predict.
The Christchurch destruction in 2022 occurred when she was the highest scorer, but this knock came after six matches in India since the start of last month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"For those following me in practice sessions, it has been a disappointing period because I feel like my form was missing at all," commented Healy.
"However when you step out on the field, your fighting spirit activate and you just lock into the match."
Healy's fighting spirit has consistently been her major advantage - and an irreplaceable characteristic in succeeding famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was troubled by India's rising star Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, dismissed by the young fast bowler in every game, but here that only provided Healy's inspiration.
A single came off the opening delivery and from there Healy was underway.
"A chance to go out there and lock in a contest with her and simply enjoy myself that way, kind of motivated me," stated Healy.
She got to fifty in 35 balls - her fastest at a World Cup - and her hundred in 84 as she punished short deliveries, hitting 21 fours and three maximums.
By the time she was dismissed the team needed 66 additional runs at a run-a-ball - an unconquered height now demanding an easy conclusion.
"Pursuing 330 is unfamiliar ground so I'm pleased we have the confidence to do that now," continued Healy.
"Ideally we won't need to do it another time but, should it happen, we believe we can do it."
These statements will be the last competing nations at this tournament want to hear.
In recent days a belief they will win from any position has only strengthened - this triumph succeeding success over Pakistan by 107 run margin despite being 76-7 at a certain moment.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before a match against traditional opponents England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a last-four spot may well be secure.
It was in the semi-finals they exited the prior year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - an encounter Healy couldn't play because of damaged tissue in her foot as she led her country for the initial instance at an important competition.
So strong is her resolve, she later said she wished she had played with the discomfort.
However although she subsequently acknowledged those fitness problems have postponed plans to retire, this World Cup is expected to be her concluding event as leader in one-day cricket and she is yet to win a global event as captain.
Success in India would take her to the summit of her last major obstacle.