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The Australian skipper has executed superb back-to-back hundreds to steer her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a dominant comprehensive win over their opponents.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to race to their target of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after possibly Australia’s weakest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for spilling two of the half-dozen chances that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.

From the time data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities represented the team's poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” Healy said.

This allowed Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place

Healy was pleased to discover that the triumph, which puts her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The experienced captain sped to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with Maiden World Cup Fifty

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her first World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.

The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as King Leads

In contrast, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to face the English team and South Africa.”