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Brendon McCullum despised the moniker Bazball from its inception, deeming it overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, one must admire his commitment to the bit. While he says he block out external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The reality, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he blinked in his belief that less is more. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (with no guarantee, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have thus far fallen well short. It is not only with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the patience or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was liberating during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen results taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Team Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful display.

Based on McCullum's words in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, handing him the gloves, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps 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 destroyed expectations and forced the team's entire approach into the spotlight.