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Brendon McCullum detested the label Bazball the moment it emerged, considering it overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it might be weaponised down the line. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum claims to ignore external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his decision – 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 intensity of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a chance to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the patience or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Team Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful performance.

Based on the coach's comments in the aftermath, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option 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 selecting a new No 3. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.