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Brendon McCullum loathed the label Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as reductive and maybe foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like trying to put out a bin fire with gasoline. It could become 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 external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, 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, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that mainly maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (and uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the patience or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's unconventional approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed solution to shake off the torpor that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Team Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso performance.

Based on the coach's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.