Buttler expects team changes

England have stuck with the same XI throughout the tournament but three heavy defeats in four games has left them on the brink of an early exit.

Gary Ballance's position at number three appears most at threat after his return of 36 runs in four innings, with Alex Hales his most likely replacement, although England's bowlers might not feel completely secure either after Sri Lanka comfortably completed a record pursuit of 310 with 16 balls to spare last time out in Wellington.

England returned to training in Adelaide on Friday, after three days off, and Buttler believes the uncertainty over selection will create an added spark in the days leading up to their critical clash.

"I think so and I think that would be good for us," he said.

"We've got three training days here where guys who aren't in the side they are desperate to put their hand up to say they should be playing, and the guys who are in the side and haven't performed as well as they would have liked want to get some form and say, 'No I am the right man and stick with me'.

"That makes for healthy competition for the team."

The clamour for Hales' inclusion has grown since defeat to Sri Lanka with the 26-year-old's match-winning ability an obvious lure following a barren campaign.

Should Hales come in, though, he will come in cold. The right-hander has batted just once in almost two months on tour when he made a rusty-looking 31 from 47 balls in the warm-up match against Pakistan on February 11.

Hales does have the benefit of local knowledge, after he was the Adelaide Strikers' second-leading runscorer in the Big Bash League last winter, and proved in making a century against Sri Lanka in last year's World Twenty20 that he has an appetite for the big moments.

"He's an explosive player, I think he's a fantastic player and he will be a fantastic player for England in the future," Buttler said.

"I think he enjoys the big occasion, obviously there was that fantastic hundred he got in the World Twenty20 against what turned out to be the champions.

"If he gets his chance I'm sure, having sat on the sidelines for a while, that he is desperate to do well."

England trained at St Peter's College just outside of the Adelaide city centre as they focused on middle practice.

There were perhaps some instructive moments as Hales batted alongside Ballance during the split session while openers Ian Bell and Moeen Ali were kept together.