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Brendon McCullum despised the term Bazball since it was coined, considering it overly simplistic 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 become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum says he block out outside criticism, he will have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (with no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash 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.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have thus far fallen well short. It is not only with the bat – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. None has shown the patience or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's unconventional approach was freeing during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed solution to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Team Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso performance.

Based on McCullum's words after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, giving him the gloves, and picking a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.