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Brendon McCullum loathed the term Bazball since it was coined, deeming it overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it might be weaponised in the future. Currently, down 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. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as England head coach if results do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum claims to ignore external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and underprepared.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Practice

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (with uncertain value, as shown by England playing 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 in general, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the various scenarios 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 shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has demonstrated the patience or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit approach was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt remedy to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Selection Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Going by McCullum's words in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a switch to a more familiar Test setting triggers his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving 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 recently, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed pre-series optimism and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.