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Brendon McCullum despised the term Bazball since it was coined, considering it reductive and maybe anticipating how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum claims to ignore external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the moment he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the bat – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, apt remedy to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment now comes in how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Team Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's words in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and picking a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe Will Jacks could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.