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The England head coach loathed the term Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as reductive and maybe anticipating how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series 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 gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum claims to block out outside criticism, he must have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of focus was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games were unavailable (with uncertain value, as shown by England playing 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 Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares 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 batting – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's unconventional outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has apparently not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Focus and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's comments after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

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