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Brendon McCullum despised the label Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However the coach has not helped himself either. Following the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While he says he ignore outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is not so simple. 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 trained for longer, completing five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different 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 minimal preparation is best. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a chance 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 uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None 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 torpor that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond 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 Selection Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two crucial opportunities with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Going by the coach's comments after the match, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional match environment triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

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