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Brendon McCullum loathed the label Bazball since it was coined, deeming it overly simplistic 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 become the butt of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with gasoline. It could become his epitaph as national coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he claims to ignore external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his belief that less is more. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. And though net practice are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that simply keeps the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a valuable experience in general, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's unconventional approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Going by McCullum's words after the match, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a traditional match environment triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.