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The England head coach loathed the term Bazball from its inception, deeming it reductive and maybe anticipating how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the pink-ball match was like trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if results do not improve.

In a way, one must admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum claims to block out outside criticism, he must have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he wavered in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though net practice are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and uncertain value, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience in general, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. None has shown the patience or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen form taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Team Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Going by the coach's words after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a traditional Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting the batsman down to his more natural home as a active middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe Will Jacks could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.