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Brendon McCullum despised the moniker Bazball from its inception, considering it reductive and perhaps anticipating how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, trailing 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 crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While McCullum says he ignore external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and underprepared.

The truth, as always, 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 to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (and no guarantee, as shown by England having played 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 valuable experience in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. None has shown the persistence or discipline that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's unconventional outlook was liberating during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an second phase to the original software that has seen results decline to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Selection Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful display.

Going by the coach's comments after the match, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a traditional Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now out of the way.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.