🔗 Share this article The Australian Team Establishes a Fresh Record as Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge. Video Description: Healy Leads Record Chase as The Aussies Defeat India It's difficult for Australia to set fresh records. The greatest achievements have already been conquered. This is the unit that has won seven Cricket World Cups, along with an additional six T20 titles, and earlier maintained nearly four years without defeat 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 Century Assists Australia to Record Chase ICC Women's World Cup 2025 - Fixtures, Results & Scorecards Tournament Standings, Top Run-Scorers & Leading Bowlers That it took up to Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to complete their first ODI chase over 300, reclaiming their record for the biggest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, in truth, a compliment to the pitchers that have worn canary yellow over the past 50 years. It's challenging for their batters to maintain a record if not afforded the chance. In the end, the result of Australia giving up 330 runs was skipper Alyssa Healy getting a platform to produce her latest masterpiece. Originally famous as the teenage relative of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she made her debut in 2010 after her country couldn't capture either of the T20 or ODI World Cups conducted earlier and has witnessed all through 15 successful years since. Success in the T20 World Cup happened three months after her bow and seven world titles have resulted from 10 efforts across formats. The determined wicketkeeper was also there in Derby in 2017 when a last-four loss by India momentarily interrupted the run of success. That loss "drove us to reevaluate our levels," Healy commented earlier. At the subsequent ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the championship match and was named player of the tournament. She ensured her country would not come up short. Whether this recent magnificent innings exceeded that prior achievement can be debated. Some will argue the reasoning behind championship match pressure. Others can counter 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 considerably tougher to predict. The Christchurch carnage in 2022 occurred when she topped the run-scoring charts, but this performance followed six innings in India over the past few weeks in which she had been unable to reach 30. "If you've been watching me in training, it has been a disappointing period because I feel like I've had no rhythm whatsoever," commented Healy. "Yet the moment you enter the playing area, your competitive nature activate and you simply focus on the competition." Video Description: 'Brilliant' Healy Scores 142 to Aid Australia Achieve Historic Pursuit Healy's competitiveness has consistently 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 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 from there Healy was in motion. "An opportunity to take the field and face the challenge with her and just have a bit of fun in that aspect, somewhat inspired me," stated Healy. She got to fifty in 35 balls - her swiftest at the World Cup - and her hundred in 84 balls as she flogged anything short, hitting 21 fours and three big hits. When she was removed her side needed 66 additional runs at run per delivery - a manageable total now requiring a leisurely stroll. "To chase 330 is unfamiliar ground so I am glad we have the belief to do that now," continued Healy. "Preferably we shouldn't have to do it another time but, if necessary, we are confident we can achieve it." That comment will be the final thing Australia's opponents at this World Cup want to hear. Over the past five days a sense they will triumph from any situation has become more firm - this triumph coming after victory over Pakistan by 107 runs despite being 76-7 at a certain moment. Subsequently Australia meet Bangladesh before a match against old rivals England in Indore in a week and a half, by which point a semi-final berth may well be secure. It was at that stage they were eliminated from the previous year's T20 World Cup in a shock defeat by South Africa - a game Healy was absent due to ruptured tissue in her foot as she led her country for the initial instance at an important competition. Such is her determination, she afterwards commented she regretted not playing with the discomfort. But while she later admitted those injuries have delayed plans to retire, this tournament is expected to be her final tournament as skipper in 50-over cricket and she is still to achieve an international tournament as leader. Victory in India would take her to the summit of her final mountain.