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The England head coach detested the label Bazball from its inception, considering it reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he says he ignore external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. 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 trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the moment he wavered in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of focus was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games were unavailable (with 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, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing 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 – as poor 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 otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's unconventional approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's words after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a more familiar Test setting unleashes his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative is to implement the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.