so the car has previously been heating up, hence the gasket burnt ...
okay, so what about after that.. when the needle goes to half , does it stay there then or starts climbing up even more after that ?
half is okay.. going on half that quick prehaps would seem dubious, but if it sticks there it's fine...
check if both raidator fans are working properly and also make sure radiator is still not clogged and coolant is circulating well and thermostat is not stuck or is removed!