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The England head coach despised the moniker Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his commitment to the bit. While he says he ignore external noise, he will have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. While net practice are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with no guarantee, when you consider England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the batting – 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 discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's unconventional approach was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, apt remedy to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and missed two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful display.

Based on the coach's words after the match, 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 unusual day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.