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The England head coach despised the label Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However the coach has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he claims to ignore external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the moment he wavered in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though net practice are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (with uncertain value, as shown by England playing 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 Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so 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. None has shown the patience or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his support cast have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the lethargy that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Focus and Team Decisions

Among them 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 crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's comments after the match, England appear set 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 unusual day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a active No. 5 or 6, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed pre-series optimism and forced the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.