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Brendon McCullum detested the term Bazball the moment it emerged, considering it reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it could 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.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

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 all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much 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 lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (and uncertain value, as shown by England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the persistence or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the torpor that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Going by McCullum's words after the match, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar Test setting triggers his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting the batsman down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, however Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.