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The England head coach detested the moniker Bazball since it was coined, deeming it reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it could be weaponised down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not improve.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he says he block out outside criticism, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his belief that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with uncertain value, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Player Focus and Selection Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Based on McCullum's words in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a switch to a more familiar Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar 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 shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is ideal, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.