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Brendon McCullum detested the term Bazball the moment it emerged, considering it reductive and maybe anticipating how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the pink-ball match was like trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum claims to block out outside criticism, he will have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as ever, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the moment he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though net practice are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (with no guarantee, when you consider England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a valuable experience in general, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the persistence or discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was freeing during its initial year, an effective, apt remedy to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly 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 last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Selection Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on the coach's words after the match, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting the batsman down to his preferred position 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 maybe Will Jacks could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.