Australia Breaks New Ground as Healy Faces One Final Mountain.
It's difficult for Australia to set fresh records.
The greatest achievements have long been mastered.
This is the squad that has won seven Cricket World Cups, along with six more T20 titles, and once went 1,294 days without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, the ones sought by the peak baggers, are the only things left for a team that has accomplished all there is.
- Healy's Ton Aids Australia to Unprecedented Chase
- ICC Women's World Cup 2025 - Schedule, Outcomes & Details
- Women's World Cup Table, Top Run-Scorers & Leading Bowlers
The fact it required as late as Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase over 300, taking back their record for the biggest in the women's 50-over format, is, frankly, a compliment to the bowling attack that have worn canary yellow over five decades.
It's challenging for their batters to hold a record if not afforded the chance.
In the end, the outcome of Australia allowing 330 runs was captain Alyssa Healy being given a platform to deliver her latest masterpiece.
Then best known as the teenage relative of renowned former 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 trophy-laden years since.
A T20 championship victory arrived 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 defeat by India temporarily stopped 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 scored 170 against England in the title decider and was awarded tournament MVP. She ensured her country would not come up short.
Whether this latest epic knock exceeded that prior achievement can be debated.
Many contend the argument supporting championship match pressure. Others can counter with the challenge that comes when facing a record target and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.
What's definite is this hundred was much more difficult to predict.
The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 happened while she was the highest scorer, but this performance was preceded by six games in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had been unable to reach 30.
"If you've been watching me in training, it has been a challenging time because it seemed my form was missing whatsoever," stated Healy.
"Yet the moment you take the field, your fighting spirit activate and you simply focus on the competition."
Healy's competitive nature has always been her great strength - and an invaluable trait in replacing famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was tormented by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, dismissed by the young fast bowler in every game, but this time it merely gave Healy's spark.
A single was taken off Gaud's first delivery and from there Healy was in motion.
"A chance to go out there and lock in a contest with her and just have a bit of fun in that aspect, somewhat inspired me," said Healy.
She achieved fifty in 35 balls - her fastest at a World Cup - and her century in 84 balls as she punished short deliveries, striking 21 boundaries and three sixes.
By the time she was removed her side needed 66 more at a run-a-ball - an unconquered height now needing a comfortable finish.
"Pursuing 330 is uncharted waters so I'm happy we have the confidence to achieve that now," stated Healy further.
"Ideally we won't need to do it another time but, should it happen, we know we can succeed."
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 success succeeding win against Pakistan by 107 runs despite being 76-7 at one stage.
Following this Australia face Bangladesh before a meeting with old rivals England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a last-four spot may well be secure.
It was in the semi-finals they left the prior year's T20 World Cup in a surprising setback by South Africa - a game Healy missed because of ruptured tissue in her foot as she guided Australia for the first time at a major tournament.
Such is her determination, she subsequently stated she wanted to have participated despite the injury.
Yet even as she subsequently acknowledged those injuries have pushed back thoughts of retirement, this World Cup is anticipated as her final tournament as skipper in ODI cricket and she is hasn't yet secured an international tournament as captain.
Success in India would lead her to the peak of her ultimate challenge.