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Brendon McCullum loathed the label Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it might be weaponised down the line. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has not helped himself either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While McCullum claims to block out external noise, he will have been acutely 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 opponents and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance he wavered in his belief that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though net practice are a chance to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight 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 disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, 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 without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the patience or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit approach was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – the lack of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Team Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Based on McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar Test setting unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a active middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a new No 3. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.