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The England head coach loathed the label Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It could become his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he says he ignore external noise, he will have been all too aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the moment he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has shown the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The disappointment now comes in how it has apparently not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Team Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and missed two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Going by 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 traditional match environment triggers his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.