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PERTH, Australia, Monday (AFP) - Australian one-day cricket captain Ricky Ponting said here Monday the Test side's brisk scoring rate would aid the approaching switch to limited-overs internationals culminating in the World Cup in southern Africa early next year.

Australia scored 1,796 runs in the first three Ashes Tests against England at a run rate of 4.08 an over -- an exceptionally high rate in the Test arena -- while hammering the opposition 3-0.

The summer's tri-nations one-day series, in which the home nation are pitted against England and Sri Lanka -- begins with a day-night match between Australia and England in Sydney Friday week.

With South Australian left-hander Darren Lehmann's recent elevation to the Test side, there are now only two changes of personnel between the Australian Test and limited-overs line-ups.

Test captain Steve Waugh and Justin Langer make way for Michael Bevan and allrounder Shane Watson.

Under Ponting's leadership, the Australian one-day side has gone from strength to strength after national selectors axed Mark and Steve Waugh from the team earlier this year.

Ponting said it seemed the Test side sometimes batted as aggressively as a one-day unit.

"When I was batting the other day (on the opening day of the third Test in Perth) we were scoring at over six runs an over," he said.

"It is not a deliberate plan -- it is just the way things are happening.

"We are a very confident side, all the players are confident and we are playing that way at the moment.

"In the last couple of years we have been able to score fairly quickly."

But Ponting said the abbreviated form of the game had moved on enormously tactically since Australia won their second World Cup crown in England in 1999.

"It is a very different game," he said. "Your mindset is obviously a lot different playing a one-day game, compared with a Test match."

However, Ponting said he tried not to change his batting style.

"It's fairly similar for me," he said.

"Hopefully, I won't change things around too much." 

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