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The England head coach despised the term Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

However McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to 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, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum claims to ignore outside criticism, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he wavered in his belief that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have thus far fallen well short. It is not only 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 persistence or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's unconventional approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration 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 results taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Focus and Team Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Going by the coach's words in the aftermath, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, none of this is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.