🔗 Share this article

It's tough for the Australian squad to break new ground.

The highest peaks have long been mastered.

This is the team that has won seven Cricket World Cups, along with an additional six T20 titles, and previously enjoyed nearly four years undefeated in 50-over cricket.

The secondary achievements, those for the achievement hunters, are what's still available for a squad that has accomplished all there is.

• Healy's Hundred Helps Australia to Historic Pursuit
• ICC Women's World Cup 2025 - Fixtures, Results & Scorecards
• Tournament Standings, Top Run-Scorers & Wicket-Takers

That it took as late as Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to complete their first ODI chase over 300, taking back their record for the biggest in the female 50-over format, is, honestly, a tribute to the bowlers that have worn canary yellow over the past 50 years.

It is hard for their batters to hold a record if never given the opportunity.

Finally, the outcome of Australia conceding 330 was skipper Alyssa Healy getting an opportunity to produce her latest masterpiece.

Originally famous as the teenage relative of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after Australia couldn't capture either of the T20 or ODI World Cups from the prior year and has seen it all through 15 trophy-laden years since.

A T20 championship victory arrived three months after her debut and seven global championships have resulted from 10 tries across formats.

The determined wicketkeeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India briefly halted the winning streak.

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

At the subsequent ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the title decider and was declared player of the series. She made sure her country would not fail again.

The question of whether this newest brilliant performance exceeded that prior achievement is debatable.

Some will argue the reasoning behind championship match pressure. Others can counter with the difficulty that comes when facing a record target and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.

What's definite is this hundred was considerably tougher to see coming.

The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 occurred when she topped the run-scoring charts, but this performance came after six matches in India since the start of last month in which she had not exceeded 30 runs.

"If you've been watching me in the nets, it has been a disappointing period because it seemed my form was missing at all," stated Healy.

"But once you enter the playing area, your competitive nature activate and you just lock into the contest."

Healy's competitiveness has consistently been her key asset - and an invaluable trait in replacing iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.

She was tormented by India's rising star Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, out to the emerging pace bowler in all three matches, but on this occasion it simply offered Healy's spark.

A single came off the bowler's initial ball and from that point the batsman was in motion.

"An opportunity to take the field and lock in a contest with her and just have a bit of fun that way, somewhat inspired me," commented Healy.

She reached fifty in 35 balls - her swiftest at the World Cup - and her hundred in 84 balls as she punished short deliveries, scoring 21 fours and three big hits.

When she was out her side needed 66 additional runs at a run-a-ball - an achievable target now needing a comfortable finish.

"Pursuing 330 is unfamiliar ground so I'm happy we have the confidence to accomplish 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 final thing competing nations at this World Cup should hear.

Over the past five days a sense they will win from any position has become more firm - this success coming after victory over Pakistan by 107 runs despite struggling at 76-7 at one point.

Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before an encounter with longtime competitors England in Indore in ten days, by which point a semi-final place may likely be confirmed.

During that phase they exited the previous year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - a game Healy missed because of torn tissue in her foot as she led her country for the initial instance at a significant event.

So great is her will, she afterwards commented she wished she had played with the discomfort.

Yet even as she subsequently acknowledged those physical issues have postponed plans to retire, this championship is expected to be her last as captain in 50-over cricket and she is yet to win an international tournament as skipper.

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