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Brendon McCullum loathed the label Bazball the moment it emerged, considering it overly simplistic and maybe anticipating 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 high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum says he block out external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he wavered in his belief that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While nets are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that simply keeps the reactions quick.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with no guarantee, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso performance.

Based on the coach's words in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a switch to a traditional match environment triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting the batsman down to his preferred position as a active No. 5 or 6, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, none of this is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.