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The England head coach detested the moniker Bazball since it was coined, considering it reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it might be weaponised down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has not helped himself either. After the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as 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 scheduled breaks as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (with 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, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit approach was freeing during its initial year, an effective, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – the lack of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on the coach's words after the match, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface 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 moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is ideal, however Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the spotlight.