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Brendon McCullum detested the term Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as reductive and maybe anticipating how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was like trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum says he block out external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (and no guarantee, 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 more broadly, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have so far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit approach was liberating during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Focus and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso performance.

Going by McCullum's words after the match, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a more familiar match environment triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.