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Brendon McCullum detested the term Bazball from its inception, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it might be weaponised in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum claims to block out outside criticism, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and underprepared.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his belief that less is more. It meant a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that simply keeps the reactions quick.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (and no guarantee, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have thus far fallen well short. It is not only with the bat – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Player Focus and Team Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on McCullum's words after the match, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional Test setting triggers his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by shifting the batsman down to his preferred position as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and picking a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.