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Brendon McCullum detested the label Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it could 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 not helped himself 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 trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, one must admire his commitment to the bit. While McCullum claims to block out outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as ever, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Before 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 Question of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that simply keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (with uncertain value, when you consider England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a valuable experience in general, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's unconventional approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso performance.

Going by McCullum's words in the aftermath, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a traditional match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, giving him the gloves, and picking 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 Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, with Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.