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The England head coach detested the term Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as reductive and perhaps anticipating how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But the coach has not helped himself either. After the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before 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.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While he claims to ignore outside criticism, he must have been all too aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his call – the moment he blinked 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 intensity of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a opportunity to refine technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that mainly maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has shown the persistence or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the torpor that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Going by the coach's comments after the match, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a active middle order player, handing him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.