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Brendon McCullum detested the label Bazball since it was coined, considering it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if results do not improve.

In a way, one must admire his commitment to the bit. While he says he block out external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as always, 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 to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his call – the moment he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was used up 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 comfort zone; zero consequence work that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and uncertain value, as shown by England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the persistence or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's unconventional approach was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – 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 Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Going by McCullum's words in the aftermath, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a active No. 5 or 6, giving him the gloves, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.