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The England head coach detested the label Bazball from its inception, viewing it as overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However the coach has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not improve.

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

The reality, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. While nets are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (and uncertain value, as shown by England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional approach was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the torpor that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results decline to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Selection Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Going by the coach's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional Test setting triggers his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the gloves, and picking a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and forced the team's entire approach into the spotlight.