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The England head coach detested the term Bazball since it was coined, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as national coach if performances do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as 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 always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It meant a significant amount of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with uncertain value, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – an absence of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Player Focus and Team Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful display.

Based on the coach's comments after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional Test setting unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by shifting the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, giving him the gloves, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.