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Brendon McCullum detested the label Bazball from its inception, viewing it as overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, 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 anything, England were 'too prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It could become his epitaph as national 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 block out external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

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

The Question of Readiness and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance he blinked in his belief that less is more. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's fortress. While nets are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and uncertain value, when you consider England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience in general, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field 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 bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration 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 taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Selection Decisions

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 with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Going by McCullum's words 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 traditional match environment triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.