🔗 Share this article

It's tough for Australia to achieve unprecedented feats.

The highest peaks have already been conquered.

This is the team that has won seven Cricket World Cups, in addition to an additional six T20 titles, and earlier maintained nearly four years without defeat in 50-over cricket.

The remaining milestones, the ones sought by the record chasers, are all that remain for a squad that has won it all.

• Healy's Century Assists Australia to Unprecedented Chase
• Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 - Fixtures, Results & Scorecards
• Women's World Cup Table, Top Run-Scorers & Leading Bowlers

It needed until Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase above 300, regaining their record for the largest in the female 50-over format, is, frankly, a testament to the bowling attack that have worn canary yellow over the last half-century.

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

In the end, the result of Australia giving up 330 runs was captain Alyssa Healy being given a chance to produce her most recent brilliance.

Initially recognized as the teenage relative of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she first played in 2010 after Australia failed to win either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups from the prior year and has seen it all through 15 championship-filled years since.

Success in the T20 World Cup arrived three months after her debut and seven international trophies have followed from 10 efforts across formats.

The tough gloveman was also there in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India temporarily stopped the successful run.

That loss "motivated us to rethink our standards," Healy commented earlier.

At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy hit 170 against England in the title decider and was awarded tournament MVP. She made sure her country would not fail again.

Whether this recent magnificent innings exceeded that prior achievement can be debated.

Many contend the case for championship match pressure. Others can counter with the challenge that comes when confronting a historic chase and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.

What's clear is this hundred was far harder to predict.

The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 occurred when she topped the run-scoring charts, but this knock followed six innings in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had failed to pass 30.

"For those following me in practice sessions, it has been a challenging time because I feel like my form was missing whatsoever," said Healy.

"However when you take the field, your competitive nature activate and you just lock into the match."

Healy's fighting spirit has continuously been her great strength - and an invaluable trait in succeeding legendary former captain Meg Lanning.

She was troubled by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, fallen to the 22-year-old seamer in every game, but on this occasion it simply offered Healy's spark.

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

"An opportunity to take the field and lock in a contest with her and simply enjoy myself in that regard, somewhat inspired me," commented Healy.

She achieved fifty in 35 deliveries - her quickest at the global tournament - and her hundred in 84 balls as she punished short deliveries, striking 21 boundaries and three maximums.

Once she was removed Australia needed 66 more at a run-a-ball - an achievable target now demanding an easy conclusion.

"To chase 330 is uncharted waters so I'm pleased we have the confidence to achieve that now," added Healy.

"Hopefully we don't have to repeat it but, if we do, we believe we can achieve it."

Those words will be the ultimate thing Australia's opponents at this championship need to hear.

Over the past five days a feeling they will win from any position has grown stronger - this triumph coming after win against Pakistan by 107-run victory despite being 76-7 at a certain moment.

Next Australia play Bangladesh before a meeting with old rivals England in Indore in ten days, by which point a semi-final berth may well be secure.

It was at that stage they left last year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - an encounter Healy was absent due to torn tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the initial instance at a significant event.

So great is her will, she afterwards commented she regretted not playing with the discomfort.

But while she afterwards confessed those injuries have pushed back consideration of ending her career, this championship is anticipated as her final tournament as skipper in 50-over 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.