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Brendon McCullum loathed the label Bazball from its inception, deeming it overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he claims to ignore external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. 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, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply keeps the reactions quick.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and uncertain value, 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 more broadly, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares 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 – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's unconventional outlook was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Player Focus and Selection Decisions

Among them 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. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Going by the coach's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar Test setting 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 victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a active middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, none of this is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.