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Brendon McCullum despised the term Bazball since it was coined, considering it overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it might be weaponised down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum claims to ignore external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While net practice are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (and no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here 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 without a spearhead. None has shown the persistence or discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – an absence of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Team Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Going by McCullum's words in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a switch to a more familiar Test setting triggers his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy middle order player, giving him the gloves, and picking a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.