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Brendon McCullum loathed the label Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it might be weaponised in the future. 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 crushing defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he says he block out outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given 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 "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It meant a significant amount of focus was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a chance to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and no guarantee, as shown by 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 worthwhile exercise more broadly, as shown by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the patience or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit approach was liberating during its initial year, an effective, apt remedy to shake off the torpor that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has apparently not evolved past that point – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Selection Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, 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 delivered a masterful display.

Going by the coach's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar Test setting triggers his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered expectations and forced the team's entire approach into the spotlight.