Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025: Australia’s record win over India leaves captain Alyssa Healy one mountain left to climb

That it took them until Sunday’s three-wicket win over India to reclaim their highest record in the women’s 50-over format and complete their first ODI chase of over 300 is actually a compliment to the bowlers who have worn canary yellow (OK, Australian gold) over the last 50 years.

It is difficult for batsmen to keep records if not given a chance.

Ultimately, Australia conceding 330 resulted in captain Alyssa Healy being given the opportunity to create her latest masterpiece.

The player, who later became known as the 19-year-old nephew of famous former Australian wicketkeeper Ian, debuted in 2010 after his country failed to win any of the 20- or 50-over World Cups held the year before, and has since gone on to 15 trophy-packed years.

The T20 World Cup win came three months after his debut and seven world titles followed 10 attempts across formats.

The brave goalkeeper was also there for the Derby match in 2017, when India’s semi-final defeat briefly halted their run of success.

Healy said this week that the loss “forced us to rethink our standards.”

At the next 50-over World Cup held in New Zealand, Healy scored 170 against England in the final and was named player of the tournament. He ensured that his country would never fall short again.

Whether this latest epic hit surpasses previous efforts is debatable.

Some will defend the final edition. Others may cope with the challenges that arise when faced with a record target and a raucous crowd of 20,000 supporting India.

What is certain is that the future of this century was much harder to see.

The Christchurch massacre in 2022 came when he topped the run-scoring charts, but that knock came after six innings in which India had failed to pass 30 since the start of last month.

“If you watch me on the networks, it’s a frustrating experience because I feel like I have no rhythm,” Healy said.

“But once you get on the field, your competitive instincts kick in and you lock in the competition.”