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Brendon McCullum loathed the moniker Bazball from its inception, viewing it as reductive and maybe anticipating how it might be weaponised down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as he claims to block out external noise, he will have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" 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 mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and uncertain value, when you consider England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so 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 shown the patience or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – 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 Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso performance.

Based on the coach's words in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional match environment triggers his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to enact 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 active No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.