Australia Sets a New Benchmark as Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.

It's difficult for Australia to break new ground.

The greatest achievements have already been conquered.

This is the team that has won seven Cricket World Cups, plus another six T20 titles, and previously enjoyed 1,294 days unbeaten in 50-over cricket.

The remaining milestones, targeted by the record chasers, are all that remain for a side that has won it all.

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That it took until Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to accomplish their maiden ODI chase above 300, regaining their record for the largest in the female 50-over format, is, frankly, a compliment to the bowlers that have worn canary yellow over the last half-century.

It's difficult for their batters to hold a record if not afforded the opportunity.

Finally, the outcome of Australia giving up 330 runs was leader Alyssa Healy getting a platform to create her latest masterpiece.

Then best known as the 19-year-old niece of celebrated previous Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after Australia didn't secure either of the T20 or ODI World Cups from the prior year and has experienced everything through 15 championship-filled years since.

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

The determined wicketkeeper was in attendance in Derby in 2017 when a last-four loss by India temporarily stopped the winning streak.

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

At the following one-day championship 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.

If this recent magnificent innings topped that previous effort is debatable.

Certain people claim the case for final game tension. Others can counter with the challenge that comes when confronting a historic chase and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.

What's definite is this ton was far harder to predict.

The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 occurred when she led the batting statistics, but this performance came after six matches in India over the past few weeks in which she had failed to pass 30.

"If you've been watching me in the nets, it has been a challenging time because I feel like I lacked timing whatsoever," said Healy.

"But once you enter the playing area, your competitive instincts activate and you simply focus on the match."

Healy's fighting spirit has always been her great strength - and an irreplaceable characteristic in succeeding iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.

She was tormented by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, fallen to the emerging pace bowler in each encounter, but here that only provided Healy's inspiration.

A single was taken off the bowler's initial ball and from that point the right-hander was in motion.

"The possibility to play and face the challenge with her and merely enjoy the moment in that aspect, somewhat inspired me," commented Healy.

She achieved fifty in 35 pitches - her fastest at the global tournament - and her ton in 84 balls as she attacked short-pitched balls, hitting 21 fours and three big hits.

By the time she was dismissed the team needed 66 more at a run-a-ball - a manageable total now requiring a leisurely stroll.

"Pursuing 330 is unfamiliar ground so I'm happy we have the confidence to achieve that now," continued Healy.

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

Those words will be the last Australia's opponents at this championship want to hear.

During the last week a sense they will win from any position has only strengthened - this triumph succeeding success over Pakistan by 107 run margin despite being 76-7 at a certain moment.

Next Australia play Bangladesh before an encounter with traditional opponents England in Indore in ten days, by which point a semi-final place may well be secure.

During that phase they left the prior year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - a match Healy couldn't play because of ruptured tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the inaugural occasion at an important competition.

Such is her determination, she afterwards commented she wished she had played with the discomfort.

But while she afterwards confessed those fitness problems have postponed consideration of ending her career, this championship is anticipated as her concluding event as leader in one-day cricket and she is yet to win an international tournament as leader.

Victory in India would lead her to the peak of her final mountain.