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The England head coach despised the label Bazball the moment it emerged, considering it overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum claims to block out external noise, he will have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as ever, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the moment he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that mainly maintains the reactions quick.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (with no guarantee, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area where England have so far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's unconventional outlook was freeing during its initial year, an effective, apt remedy to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an second phase to the original software that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Focus and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Going by McCullum's comments after the match, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a switch 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 enact the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps 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 expectations and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.