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Brendon McCullum loathed the label Bazball from its inception, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It could become his epitaph as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his commitment to the bit. While he says he block out outside criticism, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra 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 call – the instance he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While nets are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (and no guarantee, when you consider England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is here where England have so 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 leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's unconventional approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Focus and Selection Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted 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 produced a virtuoso performance.

Based on McCullum's comments after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a traditional match environment triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.