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The England head coach despised the term Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it could be weaponised down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not improve.

On one level, one must admire his commitment to the bit. As much as he claims to ignore external noise, he will have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that mainly maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and no guarantee, when you consider England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here where England have so far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Focus and Team Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a virtuoso performance.

Based on the coach's comments after the match, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional match environment triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe Will Jacks could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.