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Brendon McCullum loathed the moniker Bazball from its inception, considering it reductive and maybe foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

However the coach has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum says he block out outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their opponents and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to 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 five extra days were his call – the instance he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that simply keeps the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (and uncertain value, when you consider England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the bat – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the patience or discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, apt solution to eradicate the torpor that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has apparently not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Team 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 with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Going by McCullum's words in the aftermath, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe Will Jacks could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered expectations and forced the team's entire approach into the spotlight.