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The England head coach detested the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it reductive and perhaps anticipating how it might be weaponised in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as he claims to block out external noise, he will have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he wavered in his belief that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with uncertain value, as shown by 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 worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has shown the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's unconventional outlook was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to eradicate the torpor that preceded it. 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 decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Focus and Selection Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Going by the coach's words in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.