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The England head coach loathed the term Bazball from its inception, viewing it as overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as England head coach if results do not improve.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he claims to block out external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The truth, as always, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance he wavered in his belief that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games were unavailable (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 county championship cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt remedy to eradicate the torpor that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Selection Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a virtuoso performance.

Going by McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch 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 12 months ago by shifting the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, none of this is ideal, however Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.