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The England head coach loathed the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it might be weaponised down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the day-night Test was like trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It could become his epitaph as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum claims to ignore outside criticism, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging 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

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of focus was expended before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (with no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has apparently not evolved past that point – an absence of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Focus and Selection Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just produced a virtuoso display.

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

The alternative is to enact the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe Will Jacks could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.