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Brendon McCullum despised the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it might be weaponised in the future. Currently, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has not helped himself either. After the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if performances do not improve.

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

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their opponents and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the moment he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It meant a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has shown the persistence or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Team Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative 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, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

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