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The England head coach detested the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, considering it overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it could be weaponised in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as national coach if results do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While McCullum says he block out outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the moment he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While nets are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and no guarantee, as shown by England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have thus far fallen well short. It is not only with the bat – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was liberating during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the torpor that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen results taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Team Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on the coach's words after the match, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a active middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.