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The England head coach loathed the term Bazball from its inception, considering it reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it might be weaponised down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his lasting legacy 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 block out external noise, he will have been all too aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and underprepared.

The reality, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing 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 Training

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his decision – the moment he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his support cast have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

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. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful performance.

Based on the coach's comments in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a more familiar Test setting triggers his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and picking a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe Will Jacks could perform a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.