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The England head coach despised the term Bazball from its inception, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it might be weaponised down the line. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he says he block out outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the moment he blinked in his belief that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of focus was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While net practice are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (with no guarantee, as shown by England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the persistence or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's unconventional approach was freeing during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the torpor that came before. 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 results decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Going by McCullum's words after the match, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional match environment triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative is to implement the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. A young contender scored 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 ideal, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.