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Brendon McCullum despised the moniker Bazball since it was coined, deeming it overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While he claims to block out outside criticism, he must have been all too aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and underprepared.

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

The Question of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the moment he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a significant amount of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. While nets are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and no guarantee, 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, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the bat – harrowing 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 exceptional Australian paceman and his support cast have delivered.

McCullum's free-spirit approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the torpor that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful display.

Going by the coach's words after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment triggers his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand last year by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed pre-series optimism and forced the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.