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Brendon McCullum despised the term Bazball from its inception, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it could be weaponised down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has not helped himself either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if results do not improve.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum claims to block out external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and underprepared.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Practice

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he wavered in his belief that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and no guarantee, 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 domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the patience or discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results 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, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Going by McCullum's comments 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 traditional Test setting triggers his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a active No. 5 or 6, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.