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The England head coach detested the term Bazball the moment it emerged, considering it overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum claims to ignore external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation 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 used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. And though net practice are a chance to refine technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (with no guarantee, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Focus and Selection Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on McCullum's comments after the match, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now out of the way.

The alternative is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by moving Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil 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 pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.