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Brendon McCullum despised the label Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it could 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 become the butt of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the day-night Test was like attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum claims to ignore outside criticism, he must 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 practice equally hard. Prior to 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 different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he wavered in his belief that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though net practice are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that simply keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and no guarantee, when you consider England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

Match Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

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

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Team Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and has dropped two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a virtuoso performance.

Going by McCullum's words in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed pre-series optimism and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.