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The England head coach loathed the term Bazball since it was coined, considering it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However the coach has not helped himself either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if results do not take an upturn.

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

The truth, as always, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that simply maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and uncertain value, as shown by 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 Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the persistence or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.

McCullum's free-spirit approach was liberating during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has apparently not evolved past that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Based on the coach's comments 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 more familiar Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now out of the way.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the gloves, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the spotlight.