The Australian Team Sets a New Benchmark as Captain Alyssa Healy Faces One Final Mountain.

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

The highest peaks have already been conquered.

This is the squad that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, along with six more T20 titles, and once went nearly four years unbeaten in 50-over cricket.

The secondary achievements, the ones sought by the record chasers, are what's still available for a squad that has achieved everything.

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It needed until Sunday's victory by three wickets over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase over 300, reclaiming their record for the largest in the female 50-over format, is, honestly, a tribute to the pitchers that have represented Australia over the last half-century.

It is hard for their hitters to maintain a record if not provided the chance.

Ultimately, the consequence of Australia giving up 330 runs was skipper Alyssa Healy being given a platform to create her latest masterpiece.

Then best known as the teenage relative of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she first played in 2010 after her nation failed to win either of the T20 or ODI World Cups held the previous year and has witnessed all through 15 championship-filled years since.

A T20 World Cup win arrived three months after her bow and seven global championships have followed from 10 attempts across formats.

The determined wicketkeeper was present as well in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final defeat by India temporarily stopped 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 hit 170 against England in the final and was declared player of the series. She ensured her country would not come up short.

Whether this latest epic knock exceeded that prior achievement can be debated.

Certain people claim the reasoning behind the pressure of a final. Others can counter with the challenge that comes when confronting a historic chase and an enthusiastic Indian fanbase of 20,000.

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

The New Zealand onslaught in 2022 occurred when she was the highest scorer, 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 observed me in training, it was a challenging time because I feel like my form was missing completely," commented Healy.

"However when you enter the playing area, your competitive instincts kick in and you just lock into the match."

Healy's competitiveness has consistently been her key asset - and an irreplaceable characteristic in taking over from iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning.

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

A single came off the bowler's initial ball and after that the batsman was underway.

"The possibility to take the field and engage in competition with her and merely enjoy the moment that way, kind of motivated me," said Healy.

She achieved fifty in 35 balls - her fastest at the global tournament - and her ton in 84 deliveries while she flogged anything short, hitting 21 fours and three maximums.

By the time she was dismissed the team needed 66 more at run per delivery - an unconquered height now demanding an easy conclusion.

"To chase 330 is new territory so I'm happy we have the belief to accomplish that now," continued Healy.

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

These statements will be the last Australia's opponents at this tournament want to hear.

Over the past five days a feeling they will triumph from any situation has only strengthened - this victory succeeding win against Pakistan by 107-run victory despite being 76-7 at one stage.

Next Australia play Bangladesh before a meeting with longtime competitors England in Indore in ten days, by which point a semi-final place may well be secure.

It was in the semi-finals they left the prior year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - an encounter Healy couldn't play because of torn tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the inaugural occasion at a major tournament.

So strong is her resolve, she later said she wished she had played despite the injury.

But while she subsequently acknowledged those injuries have delayed plans to retire, this World Cup is anticipated as her last as captain in one-day cricket and she is still to achieve a world championship as leader.

Victory in India would bring her to the top of her last major obstacle.