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Brendon McCullum despised the term Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as reductive and maybe anticipating how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he says he ignore outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The reality, as always, is not so simple. 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, completing 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 Debate of Preparation and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance he blinked in his belief that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and no guarantee, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the various scenarios 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 bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has shown the persistence or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's unconventional outlook was freeing during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an second phase to the original software that has seen results taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Based on McCullum's words after the match, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar match environment triggers his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual floodlit Test now out of the way.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.