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The England head coach detested the term Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it could be weaponised in the future. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if performances do not improve.

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

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and no guarantee, as shown by England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the persistence or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to shake off the torpor that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Focus and Team Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful display.

Based on McCullum's comments after the match, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional match environment triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy middle order player, giving him the gloves, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed pre-series optimism and forced the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.