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The England head coach despised the term Bazball since it was coined, considering it overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it might be weaponised in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he says he block out external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, 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 did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. 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. And though nets are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (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 dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

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 batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has shown the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's unconventional approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt remedy to shake off the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Team Dilemmas

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on 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 more familiar match environment triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

Another option 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 middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

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