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The England head coach loathed the term Bazball since it was coined, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it might 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.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing 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 trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum claims to block out outside criticism, he will have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the moment he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While nets are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that simply keeps the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (with no guarantee, when you consider England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the batting – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its initial year, an effective, apt remedy to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment 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 an even record from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Based on the coach's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.