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The England head coach despised the label Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he says he ignore external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his belief that less is more. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and uncertain value, when you consider 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 worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.

McCullum's free-spirit approach was liberating during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Focus and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on the coach's words in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional Test setting unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative is to enact the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a active middle order player, handing him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali 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.