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Brendon McCullum despised the label Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it reductive and perhaps anticipating how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It could become his epitaph as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he claims to ignore outside criticism, he will have been all too aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and underprepared.

The truth, as ever, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance he wavered in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of focus was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games 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 disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the batting – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the persistence or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit approach was liberating during its initial year, an effective, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso performance.

Going by the coach's words in the aftermath, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional Test setting triggers his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.