Australia Establishes a Fresh Record as Captain Alyssa Healy Faces One Final Mountain.

It's a challenge for Australia to break new ground.

The greatest achievements have been successfully scaled.

This is the team that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, in addition to another six T20 titles, and once went nearly four years undefeated in 50-over cricket.

The secondary achievements, the ones sought by the achievement hunters, are what's still available for a team that has achieved everything.

• Healy's Century Helps Australia to Historic Pursuit
• Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 - Matches, Results & Statistics
• Women's World Cup Table, Leading Batsmen & Wicket-Takers

The fact it required up to Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase above 300, taking back their record for the largest in the female 50-over format, is, in truth, a compliment to the pitchers that have worn canary yellow over the past 50 years.

It's difficult for their batters to possess a record if not provided the chance.

Ultimately, the outcome of Australia conceding 330 was leader Alyssa Healy receiving an opportunity to produce her most recent brilliance.

Initially recognized as the 19-year-old niece of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after Australia didn't secure either of the T20 or ODI World Cups conducted earlier and has witnessed all through 15 successful years since.

Success in the T20 World Cup came three months after her debut and seven global championships have followed from 10 tries across formats.

The gritty keeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a last-four loss by India briefly halted the successful run.

That loss "drove us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy said this week.

At the next 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, Healy made 170 against England in the final and was declared player of the series. She made sure her country would not fail again.

Whether this recent magnificent innings topped that previous effort remains open for discussion.

Certain people claim the reasoning behind final game tension. Some might respond with the test that comes when facing a record target and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.

What's definite is this hundred was considerably tougher to predict.

The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 came as she was the highest scorer, but this performance followed six innings in India since the start of last month in which she had not exceeded 30 runs.

"If you've observed me in the nets, it was a disappointing period because I feel like I've had no rhythm whatsoever," commented Healy.

"Yet the moment you take the field, your fighting spirit activate and you simply focus on the match."

Healy's competitiveness has continuously been her great strength - and an invaluable trait in succeeding iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.

She was challenged by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, dismissed by the young fast bowler in every game, but this time it merely gave Healy's motivation.

A single came off the bowler's initial ball and from there Healy was underway.

"The possibility to play and engage in competition with her and simply enjoy myself in that aspect, sort of got me going," commented Healy.

She got to fifty in 35 pitches - her quickest at the global tournament - and her ton in 84 as she flogged anything short, striking 21 boundaries and three sixes.

When she was out the team needed 66 additional runs at one run per ball - an unconquered height now needing a comfortable finish.

"Pursuing 330 is unfamiliar ground so I'm happy we have the confidence to accomplish that now," stated Healy further.

"Ideally we won't need to repeat it but, if we do, we know we can achieve it."

These statements will be the ultimate thing rival teams at this championship want to hear.

Over the past five days a belief they will succeed regardless of circumstances has become more firm - this success following win against Pakistan by 107 runs despite being 76-7 at one point.

Next Australia play Bangladesh before a match against old rivals England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a semi-final berth may probably be guaranteed.

It was in the semi-finals they left last 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 first time at a significant event.

Such is her determination, she subsequently stated she wanted to have participated through the pain.

Yet even as she later admitted those physical issues have pushed back plans to retire, this tournament is anticipated as her concluding event as leader in ODI cricket and she is yet to win a world championship as leader.

Triumph in India would bring her to the top of her final mountain.