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The England head coach loathed the term Bazball since it was coined, deeming it overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if results do not improve.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum says he block out outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their opponents and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he wavered in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and no guarantee, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's unconventional approach was liberating during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Focus and Team Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's words in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a switch to a traditional Test setting unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a active middle order player, handing him the gloves, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.