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The England head coach detested the term Bazball from its inception, viewing it as reductive and maybe foreseeing how it might be weaponised down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, one must admire his commitment to the bit. While he claims to ignore external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and underprepared.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the moment he blinked in his belief that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though net practice are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (and uncertain value, when you consider England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. None has shown the persistence or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's unconventional approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment now comes in how it has apparently not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Team Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, giving him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.