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Brendon McCullum loathed the label Bazball from its inception, viewing it as reductive and perhaps anticipating how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become 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 claims to block out outside criticism, he will have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his belief that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While net practice are a chance to iron out 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 uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, 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 persistence or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its initial year, an effective, apt remedy to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to an even record from their most recent matches.

Player Focus and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Based on McCullum's words after the match, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar 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 more natural home as a active middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.