🔗 Share this article

It's difficult for Australia to achieve unprecedented feats.

The greatest achievements have long been mastered.

This is the team that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, in addition to an additional six T20 titles, and once went 1,294 days unbeaten in 50-over cricket.

The secondary achievements, targeted by the record chasers, are all that remain for a team that has achieved everything.

• Healy's Ton Aids Australia to Historic Pursuit
• ICC Women's World Cup 2025 - Fixtures, Results & Scorecards
• Tournament Standings, Leading Batsmen & Wicket-Takers

That it took as late as Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to complete their first ODI chase exceeding 300, taking back their record for the largest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, frankly, a tribute to the pitchers that have worn canary yellow over five decades.

It's difficult for their hitters to possess a record if never given the possibility.

Finally, the result of Australia giving up 330 runs was skipper Alyssa Healy being given an opportunity to deliver her most recent brilliance.

Then best known as the young family member of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after her nation didn't secure either of the T20 or ODI World Cups held the previous year and has witnessed all through 15 successful years since.

Success in the T20 World Cup happened three months after her first appearance and seven international trophies have followed from 10 tries across formats.

The tough gloveman was also there in Derby in 2017 when a last-four loss by India briefly halted the run of success.

That loss "drove us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy stated recently.

At the next 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, Healy made 170 against England in the championship match and was declared player of the series. She made sure her country would not come up short.

The question of whether this latest epic knock topped that previous effort remains open for discussion.

Certain people claim the reasoning behind championship match pressure. Some might respond with the test that comes when confronting a historic chase and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.

What's clear is this hundred was much more difficult to anticipate.

The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 occurred when she topped the run-scoring charts, but this knock was preceded by six games in India over the past few weeks in which she had been unable to reach 30.

"If you've observed me in training, it's been a challenging time because it appeared my form was missing at all," stated Healy.

"But once you step out on the field, your fighting spirit take over and you completely engage with the contest."

Healy's competitiveness has continuously been her major advantage - and an invaluable trait in succeeding famous previous leader Meg Lanning.

She was troubled by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, dismissed by the young fast bowler in every game, but here that only provided Healy's spark.

One run resulted off the opening delivery and after that the right-hander was underway.

"An opportunity to take the field and engage in competition with her and merely enjoy the moment in that regard, sort of got me going," said Healy.

She reached fifty in 35 deliveries - her swiftest at the global tournament - and her ton in 84 as she punished short deliveries, scoring 21 fours and three maximums.

By the time she was dismissed Australia needed 66 more at a run-a-ball - an unconquered height now demanding an easy conclusion.

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

"Hopefully we don't have to do it another time but, if we do, we are confident we can do it."

Those words will be the last rival teams at this tournament should hear.

Over the past five days a feeling they will triumph from any situation has grown stronger - this triumph following win against Pakistan by 107 run margin despite being 76-7 at one stage.

Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before a match against longtime competitors England in Indore in ten days, by which point a semi-final place may well be secure.

It was in the semi-finals they exited last year's T20 World Cup in an unexpected loss by South Africa - a game Healy was absent due to ruptured tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the inaugural occasion at an important competition.

So strong is her resolve, she later said she wished she had played with the discomfort.

But while she later admitted those injuries have postponed consideration of ending her career, this World Cup is expected to be her final tournament as skipper in 50-over cricket and she is yet to win an international tournament as captain.

Triumph in India would take her to the summit of her final mountain.