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Brendon McCullum despised the moniker Bazball since it was coined, considering it reductive and maybe foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While McCullum says he block out outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his decision – the moment he wavered in his conviction that less is more. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though net practice are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (and no guarantee, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the torpor that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – the lack of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results decline to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Selection Dilemmas

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 crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful performance.

Based on McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a switch to a traditional match environment triggers his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

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 preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the gloves, and picking a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is ideal, with Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.