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The England head coach despised the label Bazball from its inception, viewing it as 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 started with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has not helped himself either. After the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as he claims to ignore external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his decision – the moment he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with no guarantee, when you consider England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has shown the persistence or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional approach was freeing during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently not evolved past that point – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Team Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted 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.

Going by McCullum's words in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional match environment triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.