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The England head coach despised the term Bazball from its inception, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

However McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as national coach if results do not improve.

On one level, one must admire his commitment to the bit. While McCullum says he ignore external noise, he will 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 train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the moment he wavered in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with no guarantee, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is here where England have so far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the batting – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's unconventional outlook was freeing during its initial year, an effective, apt solution to shake off the torpor that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player 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 as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso performance.

Going by the coach's words in the aftermath, 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 unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a active No. 5 or 6, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.