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Brendon McCullum despised the term Bazball from its inception, viewing it as reductive and perhaps anticipating how it might be weaponised in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

However the coach 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' prior to the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he claims to ignore external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Debate 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 conviction that less is more. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though net practice are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and 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 in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the patience or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit approach was liberating during its initial year, an effective, apt remedy to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Team Dilemmas

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful performance.

Based on the coach's comments after the match, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe Will Jacks could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.