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The England head coach detested the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it might 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 mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if performances do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While McCullum says he ignore outside criticism, he will have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents 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 Kookaburra ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he wavered in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of focus was expended before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though net practice are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that pre-series state games were unavailable (with uncertain value, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings 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 fallen well short. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. None has shown the patience or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Team Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso performance.

Going by McCullum's words after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed pre-series optimism and forced the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.