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Brendon McCullum loathed the term Bazball since it was coined, considering it overly simplistic and perhaps anticipating how it could be weaponised down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

However the coach has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as he claims to block out outside criticism, he will have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that simply keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (with uncertain value, as shown by England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. 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. None has demonstrated the patience or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional approach was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to eradicate the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen form taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Team Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful performance.

Based on the coach's words in the aftermath, England look likely 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 top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a active middle order player, giving him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.