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Brendon McCullum despised the term Bazball since it was coined, considering it reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not improve.

On one level, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he says he block out external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The truth, as ever, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their rivals and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the moment he blinked in his belief that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While nets are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (with uncertain value, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone 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 decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to eradicate the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has apparently not evolved past that initial phase – the lack 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 Team Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and missed two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Based on the coach's comments after the match, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by shifting the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, none of this is ideal, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.