Australia Sets a New Benchmark as Captain Alyssa Healy Has One Peak Left to Climb.
It's tough for Australia to break new ground.
The highest peaks have been successfully scaled.
We're talking about the unit that has claimed seven Cricket World Cups, along with six more T20 titles, and earlier maintained 1,294 days unbeaten in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, the ones sought by the peak baggers, are what's still available for a team that has won it all.
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It needed as late as Sunday's victory by three wickets over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase over 300, regaining their record for the largest in the women's 50-over format, is, in truth, a tribute to the pitchers that have worn canary yellow over the last half-century.
It's difficult for their batters to hold a record if not provided the possibility.
In the end, the result of Australia conceding 330 was skipper Alyssa Healy getting a chance to produce her latest masterpiece.
Initially recognized as the 19-year-old niece of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she first played in 2010 after her nation couldn't capture either of the T20 or ODI World Cups from the prior year and has experienced everything through 15 successful years since.
A T20 World Cup win happened three months after her debut and seven world titles have come from 10 efforts across formats.
The tough gloveman was present as well in Derby in 2017 when a last-four loss by India briefly halted the run of success.
That loss "motivated us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy said this week.
At the subsequent ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Healy hit 170 against England in the championship match and was declared player of the series. She ensured her country would not fall short again.
The question of whether this latest epic knock exceeded that prior achievement is debatable.
Certain people claim the reasoning behind championship match pressure. Others can counter with the difficulty that comes when confronting a historic chase and an enthusiastic Indian fanbase of 20,000.
What's clear is this ton was far harder to predict.
The Christchurch carnage in 2022 came as she topped the run-scoring charts, but this performance was preceded by six games in India since the start of last month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"For those following me in training, it was a challenging time because I feel like I've had no rhythm completely," said Healy.
"But once you take the field, your competitive nature take over and you completely engage with the match."
Healy's competitive nature has continuously been her great strength - and a priceless quality in succeeding famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was troubled by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, dismissed by the emerging pace bowler in each encounter, but on this occasion it simply offered Healy's spark.
One run resulted off the opening delivery and from there the right-hander was on her way.
"The possibility to play and engage in competition with her and just have a bit of fun that way, sort of got me going," said Healy.
She achieved fifty in 35 balls - her quickest at the World Cup - and her hundred in 84 deliveries while she punished short deliveries, scoring 21 fours and three big hits.
By the time she was removed Australia needed 66 more at one run per ball - an achievable target now demanding an easy conclusion.
"To chase 330 is unfamiliar ground so I'm happy we have the belief to do that now," stated Healy further.
"Hopefully we don't have to repeat it but, if we do, we are confident we can do it."
That comment will be the final thing Australia's opponents at this World Cup should hear.
During the last week a belief they will triumph from any situation has only strengthened - this success following success over Pakistan by 107 runs despite struggling at 76-7 at one stage.
Following this Australia face Bangladesh before a meeting with old rivals England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a last-four spot may probably be guaranteed.
It was at that stage they were eliminated from last year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - a match Healy couldn't play because of ruptured tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the first time at a significant event.
So great is her will, she later said she regretted not playing with the discomfort.
Yet even as she subsequently acknowledged those physical issues have postponed consideration of ending her career, this World Cup is likely to be her last as captain in ODI cricket and she is yet to win a world championship as captain.
Victory in India would lead her to the peak of her ultimate challenge.
