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The England head coach detested the label Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it reductive and maybe anticipating how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However the coach has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. 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 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 carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the moment he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While net practice are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and uncertain value, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit approach was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, apt remedy to eradicate the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen results taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Team Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Based on McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a switch to a traditional Test setting unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by shifting the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.