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The England head coach detested the term Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it reductive and maybe anticipating how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But the coach has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While he claims to block out external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The reality, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the moment he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It meant a significant amount of focus was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (with no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the persistence or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – an absence of an second phase to the original software that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Based on McCullum's words after the match, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional Test setting unleashes his top form, 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 moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

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