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The England head coach despised the label Bazball since it was coined, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it could be weaponised down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if performances do not improve.

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

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It meant a significant amount of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a chance to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just 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 shown the patience or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed solution to eradicate the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen form taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Focus and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Based on the coach's words after the match, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a more familiar match environment triggers his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative is to enact the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and forced the team's entire approach into the spotlight.