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The England head coach loathed the label Bazball from its inception, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it might be weaponised down the line. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has not helped himself either. After the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum says he ignore outside criticism, he will have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their opponents and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (and no guarantee, as shown by England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience in general, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has shown the persistence or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Focus and Team Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and has dropped two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful performance.

Going by the coach's comments after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a switch to a traditional Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a active middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

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