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The England head coach loathed the moniker Bazball since it was coined, considering it overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he claims to block out external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The reality, 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. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days 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 wavered in his conviction that less is more. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and no guarantee, as shown by England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the bat – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to eradicate the torpor that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has apparently not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Team Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, 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 delivered a masterful display.

Based on the coach's words after the match, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional match environment triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by shifting the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, however Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.