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The England head coach despised the term Bazball from its inception, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if results do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum says he ignore external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and no guarantee, as shown by England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have thus far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the batting – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit approach was liberating during its initial year, an effective, apt remedy to eradicate the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Selection Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso performance.

Based on McCullum's words after the match, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a switch to a traditional Test setting unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by shifting the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, handing him the gloves, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.