🔗 Share this article The Australian Team Establishes a Fresh Record as Captain Alyssa Healy Confronts Her Ultimate Challenge. Video Description: Healy Leads Record Chase as Australia Beat India It's tough for the Australian squad to break new ground. The highest peaks have long been mastered. We're talking about the squad that has won seven Cricket World Cups, plus six more T20 titles, and previously enjoyed nearly four years unbeaten in 50-over cricket. The secondary achievements, targeted by the record chasers, are what's still available for a side that has won it all. Healy's Ton Helps Australia to Unprecedented Chase ICC Women's World Cup 2025 - Fixtures, Results & Scorecards Tournament Standings, Top Run-Scorers & Leading Bowlers That it took as late as Sunday's success by three wickets over India for them to accomplish their maiden ODI chase exceeding 300, regaining their record for the highest in women's cricket's 50-over format, is, in truth, a compliment to the pitchers that have represented Australia over five decades. It is hard for their batsmen to hold a record if not provided the possibility. In the end, the outcome of Australia conceding 330 was leader Alyssa Healy being given a platform to produce her newest gem. Initially recognized as the teenage relative of famous ex Aussie wicketkeeper Ian, she debuted in 2010 after Australia didn't secure either of the T20 or ODI World Cups from the prior year and has experienced everything through 15 successful years since. Success in the T20 World Cup happened three months after her debut and seven international trophies have followed from 10 attempts across formats. The tough gloveman was present as well in Derby in 2017 when a semi-final setback by India briefly halted the successful run. That loss "drove us to reevaluate our levels," Healy stated recently. At the next 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the title decider and was named player of the tournament. She ensured her country would not fail again. Whether this recent magnificent innings exceeded that prior achievement is debatable. Many contend the case for the pressure of a final. Different voices suggest with the test that comes when facing a record target and a loud pro-India audience of 20,000. What's definite is this century was far harder to predict. The Christchurch carnage in 2022 occurred when she topped the run-scoring charts, but this performance came after six matches in India over the past few weeks in which she had been unable to reach 30. "If you've been watching me in the nets, it has been a challenging time because it appeared I've had no rhythm completely," said Healy. "But once you step out on the field, your competitive instincts take over and you simply focus on the competition." Media Caption: 'Fantastic' Healy Makes 142 to Aid Australia Accomplish Unprecedented Chase Healy's fighting spirit has always been her great strength - and an irreplaceable characteristic in taking over from famous previous leader Meg Lanning. She was tormented by India's promising player Kranti Gaud in last month's ODI series, out to the 22-year-old seamer in each encounter, but here that only provided Healy's motivation. A single came off Gaud's first delivery and from that point the batsman was on her way. "A chance to play and lock in a contest with her and just have a bit of fun that way, sort of got me going," commented Healy. She achieved fifty in 35 deliveries - her swiftest at a World Cup - and her hundred in 84 deliveries while she punished short deliveries, hitting 21 fours and three maximums. By the time she was dismissed Australia required another 66 at a run-a-ball - a manageable total now demanding an easy conclusion. "Pursuing 330 is unfamiliar ground so I am glad we have the belief to achieve that now," stated Healy further. "Ideally we won't need to do it another time but, if we do, we are confident we can succeed." These statements will be the final thing Australia's opponents at this tournament should hear. Over the past five days a feeling they will triumph from any situation has grown stronger - this victory following win against Pakistan by 107-run victory despite being 76-7 at a certain moment. Next Australia play Bangladesh before an encounter with old rivals England in Indore in ten days, by which point a last-four spot 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 - an encounter Healy couldn't play because of ruptured tissue in her foot as she guided Australia for the inaugural occasion at a significant event. Such is her determination, she subsequently stated she regretted not playing through the pain. Yet even as she later admitted those fitness problems have pushed back consideration of ending her career, this championship is likely to be her last as captain in 50-over cricket and she is still to achieve a global event as captain. Success in India would take her to the summit of her last major obstacle.