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Brendon McCullum loathed the label Bazball from its inception, deeming it reductive and perhaps anticipating how it might be weaponised in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before 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.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum claims to block out external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in 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 moment he wavered in his conviction that less is more. It meant a significant amount of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that pre-series state games were unavailable (and uncertain value, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares 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 bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen form taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Team Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Going by McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a switch to a traditional Test setting unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and picking a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe Will Jacks could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.