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The England head coach detested the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it might be weaponised down the line. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the day-night Test was like trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if results do not improve.

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

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given 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 call – the moment he blinked in his belief that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with no guarantee, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has apparently not evolved past that point – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen results taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Based on McCullum's words in the aftermath, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional match environment unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.