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The England head coach loathed the label Bazball from its inception, viewing it as overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it could be weaponised down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if results do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum claims to ignore external noise, he will have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with uncertain value, as shown by 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, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is here where England have thus far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the bat – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the persistence or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's unconventional approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Focus and Team Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, 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 counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Based on McCullum's comments after the match, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar Test setting unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.