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Brendon McCullum detested the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following 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 akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he says he ignore outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The truth, 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 did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

The coach'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 significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While nets are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that mainly maintains the reactions quick.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and 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 in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations 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 – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the patience or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional approach was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. 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 results taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Based on the coach's comments in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a traditional match environment triggers his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand last year by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is ideal, with Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.