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Brendon McCullum detested the label Bazball from its inception, considering it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it might be weaponised in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was like trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum claims to block out external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Practice

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant 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 chance to iron out technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games were unavailable (with uncertain value, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone hardens 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 – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on McCullum's comments after the match, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, giving him the gloves, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe Will Jacks could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.