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Brendon McCullum despised the moniker Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it might be weaponised down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he says he ignore outside criticism, he will have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

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 did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with uncertain value, when you consider England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus 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. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, apt remedy to eradicate the torpor that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Selection Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and missed two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Based on McCullum's words after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a switch to a more familiar Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.