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The England head coach despised the moniker Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as reductive and maybe anticipating how it might be weaponised down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was like trying to put out a rubbish fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if performances 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 all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of focus was expended before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. While net practice are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that simply keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, 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 shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has shown the persistence or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's unconventional outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has apparently not evolved past that initial phase – an absence of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Player Focus and Team Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on McCullum's comments after the match, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

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 picking a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.