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Brendon McCullum detested the moniker Bazball from its inception, viewing it as overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing 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 become the butt of Australian jokes.

But the coach has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not improve.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum says he ignore outside criticism, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their rivals and they train just as much. 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 Debate of Preparation and Training

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and no guarantee, when you consider England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here where England have thus far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has apparently not evolved past that point – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Team Dilemmas

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Based on the coach's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a traditional match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to implement 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 middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.