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The England head coach loathed the term Bazball since it was coined, deeming it reductive and maybe anticipating how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if results do not improve.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he says he ignore external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his conviction that less is more. It meant a significant amount of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that mainly maintains the reactions quick.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (and no guarantee, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the persistence or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed solution to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Team Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful display.

Based on the coach's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a more familiar 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 stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the gloves, and picking a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.