🔗 Share this article

It's a challenge for the Australian squad to achieve unprecedented feats.

The highest peaks have been successfully scaled.

This is the squad that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, plus six more T20 titles, and earlier maintained over three years undefeated in 50-over cricket.

The remaining milestones, the ones sought by the record chasers, are the only things left for a team that has achieved everything.

• Healy's Ton Assists Australia to Unprecedented Chase
• ICC Women's World Cup 2025 - Schedule, Outcomes & Details
• Tournament Standings, Top Run-Scorers & Leading Bowlers

That it took up to Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to accomplish their maiden ODI chase over 300, regaining their record for the highest in the women's 50-over format, is, honestly, a tribute to the bowling attack that have worn canary yellow over five decades.

It is hard for their batsmen to maintain a record if not provided the opportunity.

Ultimately, the outcome of Australia giving up 330 runs was skipper Alyssa Healy receiving an opportunity to create her most recent brilliance.

Initially recognized as the teenage relative of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after Australia couldn't capture either of the T20 or ODI World Cups held the previous year and has experienced everything through 15 successful years since.

A T20 championship victory arrived three months after her debut and seven international trophies have come from 10 attempts across formats.

The determined wicketkeeper was also there in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India briefly halted the run of success.

That loss "drove 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 final and was declared player of the series. She guaranteed her country would not fail again.

Whether this latest epic knock exceeded that prior achievement can be debated.

Many contend the reasoning behind championship match pressure. Different voices suggest with the challenge that comes when confronting a historic chase and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.

What is certain is this hundred was much more difficult to anticipate.

The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 happened while she topped the run-scoring charts, but this performance followed six innings in India since the start of last month in which she had been unable to reach 30.

"If you've been watching me in practice sessions, it has been a disappointing period because it seemed I lacked timing completely," commented Healy.

"Yet the moment you take the field, your competitive instincts kick in and you simply focus on the contest."

Healy's fighting spirit has continuously been her key asset - and an invaluable trait in replacing legendary former captain Meg Lanning.

She was troubled by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, dismissed by the emerging pace bowler in every game, but this time it merely gave Healy's spark.

A single was taken off Gaud's first delivery and after that Healy was on her way.

"An opportunity to go out there and engage in competition with her and simply enjoy myself in that aspect, sort of got me going," stated Healy.

She got to fifty in 35 pitches - her quickest at a World Cup - and her hundred in 84 balls as she attacked short-pitched balls, hitting 21 fours and three big hits.

Once she was removed the team needed 66 additional runs at one run per ball - an achievable target now demanding an easy conclusion.

"Chasing 330 runs is new territory so I am glad we have the confidence to achieve that now," continued Healy.

"Preferably we shouldn't have to do it another time but, if necessary, we are confident we can succeed."

Those words will be the ultimate thing rival teams at this championship need to hear.

Over the past five days a belief they will win from any position has only strengthened - this success following win against Pakistan by 107 runs despite being 76-7 at one stage.

Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before a meeting with old rivals England in Indore in ten days, by which point a semi-final place may likely be confirmed.

During that phase they were eliminated from last year's T20 World Cup in an unexpected loss by South Africa - an encounter Healy was absent due to damaged tissue in her foot as she guided Australia for the inaugural occasion at a major tournament.

So great is her will, she subsequently stated she regretted not playing with the discomfort.

However although she later admitted those physical issues have postponed consideration of ending her career, this World Cup is expected to be her last as captain in ODI cricket and she is yet to win a world championship as skipper.

Victory in India would bring her to the top of her ultimate challenge.