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The England head coach detested the moniker Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like trying to put out a rubbish fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum claims to ignore outside criticism, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, 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 trained for longer, completing five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his call – the moment he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and no guarantee, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies 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 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 discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt remedy to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Team Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful display.

Going by McCullum'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 traditional Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the gloves, and picking a new No 3. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe Will Jacks could perform a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.