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Brendon McCullum loathed the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, considering it overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However the coach has not helped himself either. Following 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 trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as England head coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, one must admire his commitment to the bit. As much as he says he 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 more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in seeing 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 blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that simply keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (and uncertain value, when you consider 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.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Going by the coach's words after the match, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.