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Brendon McCullum loathed the label Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it might be weaponised in the future. Currently, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However the coach has not helped himself either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was like trying to put out a bin fire with gasoline. It could become his epitaph as England head coach if results do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum says he ignore external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and underprepared.

The truth, as ever, is more nuanced. 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 limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a significant amount of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (and no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is here where England have so far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the patience or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to shake off 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 original software that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's words in the aftermath, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional match environment triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe Will Jacks could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.