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Brendon McCullum loathed the label Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as reductive and perhaps anticipating how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But the coach has not helped himself either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While 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 more nuanced. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the moment he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a chance to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and uncertain value, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is here where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's unconventional approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, apt remedy to eradicate the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Team Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Going by the coach's words after the match, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar Test setting unleashes his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now out of the way.

The alternative is to enact the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a active No. 5 or 6, 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 Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.