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The England head coach despised the label Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it could be weaponised down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the day-night Test was like trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he says he ignore external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is not so simple. 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 limited experience to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While net practice are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested 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 valuable experience in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful display.

Based on McCullum's words after the match, England look likely 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 unusual day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

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