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The England head coach despised the moniker Bazball since it was coined, deeming it overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it could be weaponised in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was like trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum says he ignore outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The truth, as always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he blinked in his belief that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. And though net practice are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides 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 valuable experience more broadly, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus far fallen well short. It is not only with the batting – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. None has shown the patience or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was liberating during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed solution to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an second phase to the original software that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful performance.

Based on 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 match environment triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home 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 over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.