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Brendon McCullum despised the term Bazball from its inception, deeming it reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it might be weaponised in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

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

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum says he ignore external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The truth, as ever, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he blinked 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. While net practice are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with no guarantee, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is here 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 attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's unconventional outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, apt solution to eradicate the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently not evolved past that point – an absence of an second phase to the original software that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help 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 – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar match environment triggers his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.