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The England head coach loathed the label Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as reductive and maybe foreseeing how it could be weaponised in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was like trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he claims to block out external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and uncertain value, when you consider England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the persistence or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's unconventional approach was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Focus and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's words after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a traditional Test setting unleashes his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative is to enact the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.