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The England head coach detested the term Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it reductive and maybe anticipating how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject 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 day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It could become his epitaph as national coach if results do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum says he ignore external noise, he must 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 rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with no guarantee, as shown by 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, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, 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 shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the persistence or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed solution to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has apparently not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Focus and Selection Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, 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 performance.

Based on the coach's words after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, handing 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 an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

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