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The England head coach despised the term Bazball from its inception, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing 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 turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if results do not improve.

On one level, one must admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum claims to ignore external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, 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 without a spearhead. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's unconventional approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt remedy to eradicate the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Focus and Selection Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Going by the coach's words in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the series win 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. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.