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Brendon McCullum loathed the moniker Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But the coach has not helped himself either. After the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum says he block out external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The reality, as always, 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 trained for longer, completing five days to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance he wavered in his belief that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. While net practice 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 having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, as shown by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

Match Deficiencies and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have thus far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the persistence or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Focus and Team Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a virtuoso performance.

Based on the coach's comments after the match, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a traditional match environment unleashes his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand last year 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. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.