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Brendon McCullum detested the label Bazball from its inception, considering it reductive and maybe foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While he says he ignore external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. 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 trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It meant a significant amount of focus was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. 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 congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the patience or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's unconventional outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt remedy to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now comes in 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 most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two crucial opportunities with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's words in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a switch to a traditional match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative is to enact the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a active No. 5 or 6, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.