Australia Breaks New Ground as Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge.

It's tough for Australia to break new ground.

The greatest achievements have been successfully scaled.

This is the squad that has secured seven Cricket World Cups, along with an additional six T20 titles, and earlier maintained 1,294 days without defeat in 50-over cricket.

The remaining milestones, targeted by the achievement hunters, are what's still available for a squad that has achieved everything.

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That it took up to Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to complete their first ODI chase exceeding 300, taking back their record for the largest in the women's 50-over format, is, frankly, a tribute to the bowlers that have represented Australia over the past 50 years.

It's difficult for their batters to maintain a record if not provided the possibility.

Ultimately, the outcome of Australia conceding 330 was skipper Alyssa Healy receiving a platform to produce her latest masterpiece.

Initially recognized as the 19-year-old niece of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after Australia failed to win either of the T20 or ODI World Cups from the prior year and has seen it all through 15 championship-filled years since.

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

The tough gloveman was also there in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India briefly halted the run of success.

That loss "pushed us to reevaluate our levels," Healy stated recently.

At the following one-day championship in New Zealand, Healy hit 170 against England in the title decider and was named player of the tournament. She made sure her country would not fall short again.

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

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

What's definite is this century was far harder to see coming.

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

"For those following me in training, it has been a frustrating experience because it seemed I lacked timing completely," stated Healy.

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

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

She was tormented by India's rising star Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, dismissed by the young fast bowler in each encounter, but here that only provided Healy's spark.

A single was taken off Gaud's first delivery and from that point the right-hander was on her way.

"A chance to take the field and face the challenge with her and just have a bit of fun in that aspect, kind of motivated me," stated Healy.

She achieved fifty in 35 deliveries - her fastest at a World Cup - and her ton in 84 balls as she flogged anything short, hitting 21 fours and three sixes.

By the time she was removed the team needed 66 additional runs at a run-a-ball - an achievable target now demanding an easy conclusion.

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

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

Those words will be the final thing competing nations at this World Cup need to hear.

Over the past five days a belief they will triumph from any situation has only strengthened - this triumph following success over Pakistan by 107 run margin despite sitting at 76-7 at one stage.

Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before a match against traditional opponents England in Indore in 10 days, by which point a semi-final berth may likely be confirmed.

It was in the semi-finals they exited the previous year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - a game Healy missed because of damaged tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the first time at a major tournament.

So great is her will, she afterwards commented she wished she had played through the pain.

Yet even as she afterwards confessed those injuries have postponed consideration of ending her career, this championship is expected to be her final tournament as skipper in 50-over cricket and she is yet to win an international tournament as leader.

Victory in India would lead her to the peak of her last major obstacle.