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Brendon McCullum detested the label Bazball from its inception, considering it reductive and maybe foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But the coach 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 pink-ball match was like 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 dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum says he ignore outside criticism, he will have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

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

The Debate of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

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 bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the patience or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit approach was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently not evolved past that point – 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.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful display.

Based on the coach's comments after the match, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional Test setting triggers his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.