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The England head coach loathed the moniker Bazball from its inception, viewing it as reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he claims to block out external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his decision – the moment he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While net practice are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (with uncertain value, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the patience or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt remedy to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Team Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful display.

Going by the coach's words in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment triggers his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting the batsman down to his more natural home as a active No. 5 or 6, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.