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The England head coach loathed the term Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it could be weaponised in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However the coach has not helped himself either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to 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, one must admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum claims to block out external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance he wavered in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules 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 disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the persistence or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Focus and Team Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two crucial opportunities with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso performance.

Going by the coach's words in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional Test setting unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to enact 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, handing him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is ideal, with Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.