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Brendon McCullum despised the term Bazball the moment it emerged, considering it overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it might be weaponised in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However the coach has not helped himself either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was like attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum claims to block out outside criticism, he will have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his conviction 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 fortress. While nets are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with uncertain value, as shown by England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone 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 discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, apt remedy to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a virtuoso performance.

Going by the coach's words in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional Test setting unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.