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The England head coach loathed the label Bazball from its inception, deeming it reductive and maybe foreseeing how it might be weaponised in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has not helped himself either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as he says he ignore outside criticism, he must have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even stepped out 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 tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (and no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. None has shown the persistence or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's unconventional approach was liberating during its initial year, an effective, apt remedy to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Going by the coach's words after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the series win 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 wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and forced the team's entire approach into the spotlight.