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The England head coach despised the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it reductive and perhaps anticipating how it could be weaponised down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum says he ignore outside criticism, he will have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The truth, as ever, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his belief that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (and no guarantee, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have so 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 without a spearhead. None has shown the patience or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, apt remedy to shake off the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – an absence of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen form taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Team Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful display.

Based on the coach's words after the match, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar match environment unleashes his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting the batsman down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.