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The England head coach loathed the label Bazball since it was coined, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum claims to block out outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that pre-series state games were unavailable (and no guarantee, 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 valuable experience in general, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is here where England have thus far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional approach was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt remedy to shake off 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 original software that has seen results taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Team Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso performance.

Based on McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe Will Jacks could perform a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the spotlight.