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The England head coach detested the moniker Bazball since it was coined, deeming it reductive and maybe foreseeing how it might be weaponised down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum claims to block out external noise, 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 play as much golf during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the moment he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It meant a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a chance to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (and no guarantee, as shown by 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 valuable experience in general, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is here where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit approach was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus 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 key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful performance.

Based on McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a traditional Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a active No. 5 or 6, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a new No 3. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.