🔗 Share this article

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

The highest peaks have been successfully scaled.

This is the team that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, in addition to six more T20 titles, and earlier maintained over three years undefeated in 50-over cricket.

The remaining milestones, those for the peak baggers, are the only things left for a team that has achieved everything.

• Healy's Ton Aids Australia to Record Chase
• Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 - Matches, Results & Statistics
• Tournament Standings, Top Run-Scorers & Leading Bowlers

The fact it required up to Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to complete their first ODI chase over 300, taking back their record for the largest in the female 50-over format, is, in truth, a compliment to the pitchers that have worn canary yellow over the last half-century.

It is hard for their hitters to possess a record if not afforded the chance.

Finally, the result of Australia conceding 330 was leader Alyssa Healy getting a chance to deliver her newest gem.

Initially recognized as the young family member of renowned former Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she first played in 2010 after Australia didn't secure either of the 20 or 50-over World Cups conducted earlier and has witnessed all through 15 successful years since.

Success in the T20 World Cup came three months after her debut and seven world titles have followed from 10 attempts across formats.

The determined wicketkeeper was also there in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India momentarily interrupted the successful run.

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

At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy hit 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 latest epic knock exceeded that prior achievement can be debated.

Certain people claim the case for the pressure of a final. Some might respond with the difficulty that comes when facing a record target and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000.

What's definite is this ton was considerably tougher to anticipate.

The Christchurch destruction in 2022 came as she topped the run-scoring charts, but this performance followed six innings in India over the past few weeks in which she had not exceeded 30 runs.

"If you've observed me in training, it was a challenging time because it seemed I've had no rhythm completely," stated Healy.

"Yet the moment you step out on the field, your competitive nature activate and you just lock into the competition."

Healy's competitive nature has always been her key asset - and an irreplaceable characteristic in succeeding famous previous leader Meg Lanning.

She was troubled by India's emerging talent Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, out to the young fast bowler in all three matches, but here that only provided Healy's motivation.

A single was taken off the bowler's initial ball and from there Healy was underway.

"An opportunity to go out there and face the challenge with her and just have a bit of fun in that regard, kind of motivated me," commented Healy.

She reached fifty in 35 pitches - her swiftest at the World Cup - and her century in 84 balls as she punished short deliveries, striking 21 boundaries and three big hits.

Once she was dismissed the team needed 66 more at one run per ball - an unconquered height now needing a comfortable finish.

"Pursuing 330 is unfamiliar ground so I am glad we have the assurance to do that now," continued Healy.

"Ideally we won't need to repeat it but, if we do, we believe we can succeed."

Those words will be the ultimate thing rival teams at this championship want to hear.

In recent days a sense they will win from any position has grown stronger - this triumph following success over Pakistan by 107 runs despite being 76-7 at a certain moment.

Next Australia play Bangladesh before a meeting with old rivals England in Indore in ten days, by which point a semi-final place may likely be confirmed.

It was in the semi-finals they were eliminated from the prior year's T20 World Cup in an unexpected loss by South Africa - a game Healy couldn't play because of ruptured tissue in her foot as she led her country for the initial instance at an important competition.

So strong is her resolve, she later said she regretted not playing through the pain.

However although she subsequently acknowledged those injuries have delayed plans to retire, this World Cup is likely to be her last as captain in ODI cricket and she is hasn't yet secured a world championship as skipper.

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