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Brendon McCullum detested the term Bazball from its inception, viewing it as overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test 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.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum claims to ignore external noise, he will have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as ever, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance 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 intensity of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (with no guarantee, as shown by 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 in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the persistence or discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's unconventional outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Selection Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Going by McCullum's comments after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional Test setting unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and picking a fresh face at first drop. 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.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.