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Brendon McCullum detested the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as reductive and perhaps anticipating how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he says he block out outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he wavered in his belief that less is more. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that simply keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (and no guarantee, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies 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. It is not only with the bat – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. None has shown the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now comes in 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 most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Selection Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful display.

Going by the coach's words in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional Test setting unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.