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The England head coach loathed the term Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not improve.

In a way, one must 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 increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their rivals and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his decision – the moment he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a chance to refine technique, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight 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 disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the patience or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit approach was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, apt remedy to shake off the torpor that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen form taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad 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 has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is ideal, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.