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The England head coach despised the label Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It could become his epitaph as England head coach if results do not take an upturn.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he says he ignore external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much 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 ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the moment he wavered in his belief that less is more. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the 5-0 series loss 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 a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has shown the persistence or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the torpor that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen form taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Focus and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Going by McCullum's words in the aftermath, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar 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 series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. A young contender made some 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, none of this is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.