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Brendon McCullum detested the term Bazball from its inception, considering it reductive and perhaps anticipating how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

However the coach has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the day-night Test was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as England head coach if results do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as he says he block out external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra 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 used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here where England have thus far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the batting – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's unconventional approach was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, apt remedy to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Focus and Selection Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just produced a masterful performance.

Based on the coach's comments in the aftermath, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar match environment triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the gloves, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the spotlight.