The Australian Team Sets a New Benchmark as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.
It's difficult for the Australian squad to break new ground.
The greatest achievements have already been conquered.
We're talking about the team that has won seven Cricket World Cups, plus another six T20 titles, and once went over three years without defeat in 50-over cricket.
The secondary achievements, targeted by the record chasers, are what's still available for a side that has achieved everything.
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That it took up to Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase above 300, regaining their record for the highest in the women's 50-over format, is, frankly, a tribute to the bowling attack that have represented Australia over five decades.
It's difficult for their batters to maintain a record if never given the chance.
Finally, the consequence of Australia giving up 330 runs was captain Alyssa Healy being given an opportunity to produce her newest gem.
Then best known as the teenage relative of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she first played in 2010 after Australia couldn't capture either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups conducted earlier and has seen it all through 15 successful years since.
A T20 championship victory arrived three months after her debut and seven world titles have come from 10 tries across formats.
The gritty keeper was present as well in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India briefly halted the successful run.
That loss "drove us to reconsider our benchmarks," Healy said this week.
At the next 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the championship match and was awarded tournament MVP. She guaranteed her country would not come up short.
The question of whether this recent magnificent innings topped that previous effort can be debated.
Many contend the reasoning behind the pressure of a final. Different voices suggest with the test that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.
What's clear is this century was far harder to anticipate.
The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 occurred when she was the highest scorer, but this performance followed six innings in India since the start of last month in which she had failed to pass 30.
"If you've observed me in the nets, it's been a challenging time because I feel like my form was missing whatsoever," stated Healy.
"However when you step out on the field, your fighting spirit take over and you completely engage with the contest."
Healy's fighting spirit has continuously been her key asset - and an irreplaceable characteristic in succeeding famous previous leader Meg Lanning.
She was challenged by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, out to the emerging pace bowler in all three matches, but this time it merely gave Healy's inspiration.
A single came off the opening delivery and from there the batsman was on her way.
"The possibility to play and engage in competition with her and just have a bit of fun in that aspect, sort of got me going," said Healy.
She reached fifty in 35 balls - her swiftest at a World Cup - and her ton in 84 as she flogged anything short, striking 21 boundaries and three sixes.
By the time she was dismissed Australia needed 66 more at run per delivery - a manageable total now requiring a leisurely stroll.
"Pursuing 330 is unfamiliar ground so I'm pleased we have the belief to accomplish that now," added Healy.
"Hopefully we don't have to repeat it but, should it happen, we know we can do it."
That comment will be the final thing rival teams at this championship want to hear.
Over the past five days a belief they will succeed regardless of circumstances has grown stronger - this triumph following win against Pakistan by 107 runs despite being 76-7 at one stage.
Next Australia play Bangladesh before a match against old rivals England in Indore in ten days, by which point a last-four spot may well be secure.
During that phase they were eliminated from the prior year's T20 World Cup in an unexpected loss by South Africa - an encounter Healy missed because of ruptured tissue in her foot as she led her country for the first time at an important competition.
So great is her will, she afterwards commented she wanted to have participated through the pain.
Yet even as she subsequently acknowledged those fitness problems have delayed consideration of ending her career, this World Cup is expected to be her concluding event as leader in one-day cricket and she is yet to win a world championship as captain.
Victory in India would take her to the summit of her final mountain.