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The England head coach despised the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as 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 always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Practice

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his belief that less is more. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While net practice are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (and no guarantee, when you consider England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Deficiencies and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the bat – 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 otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt remedy to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an second phase to the original software that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Selection Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a active middle order player, giving him the gloves, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, with Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.