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The England head coach despised the term Bazball since it was coined, deeming it overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was like trying to put out a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While he says he block out external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The reality, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the moment he wavered in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of focus was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (with no guarantee, as shown by England playing 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 Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area where England have so far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit approach was liberating during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently not evolved past that point – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form decline to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Team Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on McCullum's words after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional match environment unleashes his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.