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Brendon McCullum despised the term Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as reductive and maybe anticipating how it might be weaponised in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has not helped himself either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as national coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, one must admire his commitment to the bit. While he says he block out external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as ever, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he wavered in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (and 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 county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing hardens 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 – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen form decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Focus and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a virtuoso performance.

Based on McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar Test setting triggers his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and picking a fresh face at first drop. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, however Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.