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The England head coach detested the term Bazball from its inception, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it could be weaponised in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he claims to block out outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. 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 Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance he wavered in his belief that less is more. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. While nets are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that mainly maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (with no guarantee, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here where England have thus far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the batting – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the patience or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's unconventional approach was liberating during its initial year, an effective, apt solution to eradicate the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso performance.

Based on the coach's words after the match, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a traditional match environment triggers his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

Another option 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 busy middle order player, handing him the gloves, and picking a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.