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The England head coach loathed the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if results do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he claims to block out outside criticism, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared 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 Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While net practice are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with no guarantee, 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 unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the batting – harrowing 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 teammates have delivered.

The coach's unconventional approach was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an upgrade to the original software 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 gifted player, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful performance.

Going by the coach's comments after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a switch to a traditional match environment triggers his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.