🔗 Share this article The Australian Team Establishes a Fresh Record as Captain Alyssa Healy Faces One Final Mountain. Media Caption: Healy Guides Historic Pursuit as Australia Beat India It's difficult for the Australian squad to achieve unprecedented feats. The greatest achievements have been successfully scaled. We're talking about the team that has won seven Cricket World Cups, along with another six T20 titles, and once went 1,294 days undefeated in 50-over cricket. The alternative records, the ones sought by the achievement hunters, are what's still available for a squad that has achieved everything. Healy's Ton Helps Australia to Record Chase Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 - Schedule, Outcomes & Details Women's World Cup Table, Leading Batsmen & Leading Bowlers The fact it required up to Sunday's three-wicket win over India for them to achieve their initial ODI chase over 300, taking back their record for the biggest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, frankly, a testament to the bowling attack that have represented Australia over five decades. It's difficult for their batters to possess a record if not afforded the opportunity. In the end, the result of Australia allowing 330 runs was skipper Alyssa Healy being given an opportunity to create her latest masterpiece. Initially recognized as the teenage relative of famous ex 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 trophy-laden years since. Success in the T20 World Cup happened three months after her first appearance and seven international trophies have resulted from 10 tries across formats. The tough gloveman was present as well in Derby in 2017 when a last-four loss by India briefly halted 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 title decider and was declared player of the series. She ensured her country would not come up short. The question of whether this latest epic knock surpassed that earlier display is debatable. Many contend the reasoning behind the pressure of a final. Different voices suggest with the difficulty that comes when facing a record target and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000. What's definite is this hundred was much more difficult to see coming. The Christchurch destruction in 2022 happened while she was the highest scorer, but this knock was preceded by six games in India from the beginning of the previous month in which she had failed to pass 30. "If you've observed me in the nets, it's been a disappointing period because I feel like I've had no rhythm completely," said Healy. "Yet the moment you take the field, your competitive instincts activate and you simply focus on the competition." Video Description: 'Fantastic' Healy Hits 142 to Help Australia Achieve Historic Pursuit Healy's competitive nature has continuously been her great strength - and an irreplaceable characteristic in replacing iconic ex-skipper Meg Lanning. She was troubled by India's rising star Kranti Gaud in recent ODI series, out to the young fast bowler in all three matches, but this time it merely gave Healy's motivation. A single came off the opening delivery and after that the batsman was in motion. "The possibility to take the field and face the challenge with her and just have a bit of fun that way, sort of got me going," said Healy. She reached fifty in 35 pitches - her quickest at the global tournament - and her hundred in 84 deliveries while she punished short deliveries, hitting 21 fours and three maximums. When she was dismissed the team needed 66 additional runs at a run-a-ball - a manageable total now demanding an easy conclusion. "Chasing 330 runs is unfamiliar ground so I'm happy we have the assurance to achieve that now," added Healy. "Ideally we won't need to do it again but, should it happen, we know we can succeed." Those words will be the final thing Australia's opponents at this championship should hear. During the last week a belief they will win from any position has become more firm - this victory succeeding success over Pakistan by 107 runs despite being 76-7 at a certain moment. Next Australia play Bangladesh before a meeting with traditional opponents England in Indore in ten days, by which point a semi-final berth may well be secure. It was in the semi-finals they were eliminated from the prior year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - an encounter Healy was absent due to ruptured tissue in her foot as she captained her nation for the initial instance at an important competition. Such is her determination, she later said she wanted to have participated despite the injury. Yet even as she afterwards confessed those fitness problems have delayed thoughts of retirement, this tournament is expected to be her final tournament as skipper in one-day cricket and she is hasn't yet secured a global event as skipper. Success in India would take her to the summit of her last major obstacle.