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

It's a challenge for the Australian squad to achieve unprecedented feats.

The top summits have been successfully scaled.

We're talking about the team that has won seven Cricket World Cups, plus another six T20 titles, and once went nearly four years unbeaten in 50-over cricket.

The secondary achievements, those for the record chasers, are the only things left for a squad that has won it all.

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That it took until Sunday's victory by three wickets over India for them to accomplish their maiden ODI chase exceeding 300, reclaiming their record for the biggest in the women's 50-over format, is, frankly, a testament to the bowling attack that have worn canary yellow over five decades.

It's challenging for their batsmen to maintain a record if not afforded the opportunity.

Ultimately, the outcome of Australia allowing 330 runs was skipper Alyssa Healy being given a platform to create her newest gem.

Then best known as the teenage relative of celebrated previous Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after Australia failed to win either of the T20 or ODI World Cups held the previous year and has seen it all through 15 trophy-laden years since.

A T20 World Cup win arrived three months after her first appearance and seven international trophies have followed from 10 efforts across formats.

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

That loss "motivated us to rethink our standards," Healy said this week.

At the subsequent ODI 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 fall short again.

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

Many contend the reasoning behind championship match pressure. Some might respond with the test that comes when pursuing an unprecedented total and a raucous India-supporting crowd of 20,000.

What is certain is this century was considerably tougher to see coming.

The Christchurch destruction in 2022 came as she led the batting statistics, but this knock came after six matches in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had failed to pass 30.

"If you've been watching me in the nets, it's been a challenging time because I feel like my form was missing completely," said Healy.

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

Healy's competitive nature has continuously been her great strength - and a priceless quality in succeeding iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.

She was troubled by India's rising star Kranti Gaud in the previous month's ODI series, out to the 22-year-old seamer in every game, but this time it merely gave Healy's motivation.

A single was taken off the bowler's initial ball and after that Healy was in motion.

"A chance to take the field and lock in a contest with her and just have a bit of fun in that regard, somewhat inspired me," said Healy.

She achieved fifty in 35 pitches - her swiftest at a World Cup - and her hundred in 84 balls as she attacked short-pitched balls, scoring 21 fours and three maximums.

Once she was dismissed the team needed 66 additional runs at run per delivery - an achievable target now needing a comfortable finish.

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

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

That comment will be the final thing rival teams at this tournament need to hear.

In recent days a sense they will triumph from any situation has only strengthened - this victory succeeding win against Pakistan by 107-run victory despite struggling at 76-7 at a certain moment.

Next Australia play Bangladesh before a meeting with longtime competitors England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a semi-final berth may probably be guaranteed.

During that phase they exited the previous year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - an encounter Healy missed because of torn tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the initial instance at an important competition.

So great is her will, she afterwards commented she wanted to have participated through the pain.

But while she later admitted those injuries have pushed back plans to retire, this World Cup is likely to be her concluding event as leader in ODI cricket and she is yet to win an international tournament as skipper.

Triumph in India would lead her to the peak of her ultimate challenge.