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The England head coach loathed the label Bazball since it was coined, deeming it overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However the coach has not helped himself either. After the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the day-night Test was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he claims to ignore external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, 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, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

The coach'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 intensity of Australia's stronghold. While net practice are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and uncertain value, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here where England have so far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has shown the persistence or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's unconventional outlook was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Team Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful display.

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 match environment unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, handing him the gloves, and picking a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.