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The England head coach loathed the term Bazball since it was coined, considering it reductive and maybe anticipating how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has not helped himself either. After the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum says he block out outside criticism, he will have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his belief that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that pre-series state games were unavailable (with no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is here where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's unconventional approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – an absence of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Team Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful display.

Going by the coach's words in the aftermath, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by moving Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.