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Brendon McCullum loathed the label Bazball the moment it emerged, considering it reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum says he ignore external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Practice

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his call – the moment he wavered in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

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 thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the patience or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit approach was freeing during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen form taper off 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. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Based on McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional match environment triggers his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand last year by moving Ollie Pope 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 scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe Will Jacks could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

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