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The England head coach despised the label Bazball from its inception, viewing it as reductive and maybe anticipating how it might be weaponised down the line. 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 McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his commitment to the bit. While he says he ignore outside criticism, he will 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 opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his decision – the moment he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with uncertain value, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt remedy to eradicate the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Selection Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Based on the coach's words in the aftermath, England look likely 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 day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.