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The England head coach despised the term Bazball since it was coined, deeming it reductive and maybe anticipating how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like trying to put out a rubbish fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if results do not take an upturn.

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

The truth, as ever, is more nuanced. 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, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While nets are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games were unavailable (with no guarantee, as shown by England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's unconventional approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, apt remedy to shake off the torpor that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an second phase to the original software that has seen results taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Focus and Selection Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, 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 opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful display.

Going by the coach's words after the match, 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 unfamiliar day-night format 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 Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe Will Jacks could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.