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The England head coach detested the moniker Bazball from its inception, considering it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While he claims to ignore outside criticism, he will have been acutely 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 necessary down time as their rivals and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here where England have thus far fallen well short. It is not only with the bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Selection Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested 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 virtuoso display.

Based on the coach's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar match environment unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and picking a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.