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The England head coach loathed the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While McCullum says he block out outside criticism, he will have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as always, 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 trained for longer, logging five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his decision – the moment he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity 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 simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with no guarantee, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

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

McCullum's free-spirit approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, apt solution to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen form decline to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Team Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful performance.

Going by McCullum's words 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 more familiar Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a active No. 5 or 6, giving him the gloves, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.