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Brendon McCullum detested the term Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as reductive and maybe anticipating how it could be weaponised in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum says he block out external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with uncertain value, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional approach was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Team Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a switch 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 enact 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 busy middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered expectations and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.