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Brendon McCullum despised the moniker Bazball since it was coined, deeming it reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However 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 like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It could become his epitaph 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 block out external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his belief that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (and no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the patience or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Team Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Going by the coach's words in the aftermath, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional Test setting triggers his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered 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 picking a fresh face at first drop. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.