JAMES Anderson believes there is a simple reason why England find themselves 3-0 down in the one-day series against Australia – they have not batted and bowled well in the same game.

England have failed to marry meaningful performances in either discipline so far in the seven-match series to undermine their preparations ahead of the start of the World Cup next month.

In the opening match in Melbourne the batsmen combined to post 294, a record England score against Australia on their home soil, only for the bowlers to then concede a record chase on the MCG.

In the subsequent matches in Hobart and Sydney it has been the batsmen who have shouldered the blame for defeat, after being bowled out for 184 and 214.

‘‘We just need to play better,’’ Anderson said, ahead of his return to the team for tomorrow’s must-win match in Adelaide.

‘‘We’ve played good stuff but we haven’t clicked with both bat and ball in the same game. We’ve played some good cricket but only in parts.’’ Anderson has had a watching brief for the three games so far after he was allowed to return home to England to rest after the Ashes, when he was the only England seamer to play all five Tests.

After three weeks off the 28- year-old returned to Australia at the weekend and admitted he felt refreshed ahead of a busy schedule culminating in the World Cup.

‘‘It was great to go home and see my family. It was also nice to get a break and rest the body and the mind,’’ he said.

‘‘I needed it, my body certainly needed it after the Test series.’’ Anderson will return to a depleted bowling attack that has been beset by injuries following a long tour of Australia.

Stuart Broad (stomach), Graeme Swann (back) and Tim Bresnan (calf), who was ruled out of the series on Sunday, are England’s best oneday bowlers alongside Anderson but are all sidelined.

That means Anderson’s 133 one-day internationals mark him as easily the most experienced of the England seamers that remain.

Chris Tremlett, who was not selected in the World Cup squad, is the next most capped bowler with 11 appearances ahead of Ajmal Shahzad (seven) and Chris Woakes (one), while Steven Finn is yet to play a 50-over international.