Refreshed Gilchrist ready for first match

Adam Gilchrist is unlikely to curb his aggression at the World Cup despite suggestions he should be more cautious at the top of the order. Ricky Ponting said Gilchrist's break from the game - he has not played for nearly a month - was just what was required to restore his energy for the Caribbean.

Gilchrist arrived in the West Indies on Monday to join his team-mates having stayed at home after the birth of his third child. Ponting said Australia needed a refreshed Gilchrist for their World Cup defence. "To keep right through the summer then open the batting, especially in the one-dayers, is hard work but he keeps himself physically fit," Ponting told the Daily Telegraph.

Gilchrist is expected to play in Australia's second warm-up match, against England in St Vincent on Friday. It will be his first hit since the CB Series, when he averaged a disappointing 22.20. Mark Waugh, Gilchrist's former opening partner, said last week Gilchrist needed to think about the way he played in the first few overs and ensure he was not too impatient.

Ponting said he understood Waugh's comments that Gilchrist should slow down but in reality it was impossible to control Gilchrist's dashing nature. "I know what Mark's probably talking about," Ponting said. "He probably thinks that [Gilchrist] is going a bit too hard for too long, but that's the beauty of someone like Gilly.

"You can probably say the same thing about him in Test cricket. When he gets going, he just keeps going. I really think he just gets on a bit of a roll and really can't tell himself to stop. You can tell him to pull the reins in a little bit and he does the opposite."

Ponting said Australia would post some huge scores on the small Caribbean grounds if Gilchrist could bat until late in an innings and there was no intention of resting him or dropping him down the order. "As far as I am concerned, Gilly is always our No.1 opener," he said.