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The England head coach loathed the label Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has not helped himself either. After the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as he says he ignore external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to 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 blinked in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that pre-series state games were unavailable (and no guarantee, when you consider England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the bat – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. None has shown the persistence or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to an even record from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Team Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Going by McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England look likely 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 best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, handing him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps Will Jacks could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, none of this is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.