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The England head coach despised the term Bazball since it was coined, deeming it overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if results do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum says he ignore outside criticism, he will have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The reality, 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 trained for longer, completing five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested 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). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

Match Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has shown the persistence or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the lethargy that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Based on McCullum's comments after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a more familiar match environment triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting the batsman down to his more natural home as a active middle order player, handing him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.