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The England head coach detested the term Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it could be weaponised down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before the pink-ball match was like trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he claims to block out outside criticism, he will have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his decision – the moment he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with uncertain value, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell'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 here where England have thus far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's unconventional outlook was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Team Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, 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 counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Based on McCullum's words in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test 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 more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, 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.