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The England head coach detested the term Bazball since it was coined, considering it overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it could 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 mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem 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 like attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum says he block out outside criticism, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. 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 changes in seeing conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of focus was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has shown the persistence or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was liberating during its initial year, an effective, apt remedy to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a virtuoso performance.

Based on the coach's words after the match, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional Test setting unleashes his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, handing him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.