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Brendon McCullum detested the term Bazball since it was coined, considering it overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it could be weaponised down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While he claims to block out external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their rivals and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the moment he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that mainly maintains the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (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 dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is here where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Focus and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a switch to a more familiar Test setting unleashes his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.