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Brendon McCullum despised the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it might be weaponised in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he claims to ignore 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 enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they practice equally hard. 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 changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his conviction that less is more. It meant a significant amount of focus was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional approach was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to eradicate the torpor that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results taper off to an even record 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 both edges and has dropped two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a traditional match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, however Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.