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Brendon McCullum despised the term Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it reductive and perhaps anticipating how it could be weaponised in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before 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 results do not improve.

In a way, one must admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum claims to ignore outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the moment he wavered in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that mainly maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the bat – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the patience or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently not evolved past that point – the lack of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results decline to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Team Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Going by the coach's words after the match, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar Test setting unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a active middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a new No 3. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.