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Brendon McCullum detested the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as reductive and perhaps anticipating how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if results do not improve.

In a way, one must admire his commitment to the bit. As much as he claims to ignore outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the moment he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It meant a Test match's worth of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (and uncertain value, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have so far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the persistence or discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional approach was freeing during its initial year, an effective, apt remedy to shake off the torpor that came before. The disappointment 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 decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Team Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just produced a virtuoso performance.

Based on McCullum's comments after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a traditional Test setting unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a active middle order player, handing him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is ideal, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.