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Brendon McCullum detested the label Bazball from its inception, deeming it reductive and maybe anticipating how it could be weaponised down the line. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. After the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, one must admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum claims to ignore external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. 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, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth 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 technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (with uncertain value, when you consider England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful performance.

Going by McCullum's words 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 traditional match environment triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting the batsman down to his preferred position as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and picking a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, none of this is ideal, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered expectations and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.