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The England head coach detested the moniker Bazball since it was coined, deeming it reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has not helped himself 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 like trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as he claims to block out outside criticism, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he wavered in his conviction that less is more. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the batting – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the patience or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his support cast have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Player Focus and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso performance.

Going by the coach's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the gloves, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe Will Jacks could perform a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.