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Brendon McCullum loathed the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, considering it overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it might be weaponised in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was like trying to put out a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he claims to ignore outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and underprepared.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he wavered in his conviction that less is more. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (and 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 worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have thus far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the persistence or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's unconventional outlook was freeing during its initial year, an effective, apt remedy to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an second phase to the original software that has seen form taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Focus and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on the coach's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar Test setting triggers his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, giving him the gloves, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.