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The England head coach loathed the term Bazball from its inception, deeming it reductive and perhaps anticipating how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, one must admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum 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 more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his belief that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and uncertain value, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, as shown by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the persistence or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its initial year, an effective, apt remedy to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Selection Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and missed two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Going by the coach's comments in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a traditional Test setting unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, however Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the spotlight.