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The England head coach loathed the label Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

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 day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if results do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he claims to ignore external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, is more nuanced. 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 to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the moment he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with uncertain value, as shown by 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 valuable experience in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here where England have thus 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 without a spearhead. None has shown the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – an absence of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Team Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Based on McCullum's words after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a switch to a traditional match environment triggers his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe Will Jacks could fulfil a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

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