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The England head coach detested the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, considering it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While McCullum claims to block out external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their opponents 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 different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of focus was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus 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 without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the persistence or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit approach was liberating during its initial year, an effective, apt remedy to eradicate the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Team Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, 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, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Based on McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar Test setting unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual 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 shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a active No. 5 or 6, 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 perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.