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Brendon McCullum loathed the moniker Bazball from its inception, considering it overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it might be weaponised in the future. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum says he block out external noise, he will have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that simply keeps the reactions quick.

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 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has apparently not evolved past that initial phase – an absence of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus 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 missed two crucial opportunities with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on McCullum's words after the match, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a switch to a traditional Test setting unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a active No. 5 or 6, 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, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.