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Brendon McCullum despised the term Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as reductive and perhaps anticipating how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But the coach has not helped himself either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as he claims to block out outside criticism, he must have been all too aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his decision – the moment he blinked in his belief that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. And though net practice are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with uncertain value, as shown by England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience in general, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. None has shown the patience or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has apparently not evolved past that point – an absence of an second phase to the original software that has seen form taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Team Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Based on the coach's words in the aftermath, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a more familiar match environment unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar 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 shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a active No. 5 or 6, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.