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Brendon McCullum loathed the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, considering it overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it could be weaponised in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

On one level, one must admire his commitment to the bit. While he says he block out outside criticism, he will have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Practice

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his decision – the moment he wavered in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a significant amount of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. While nets are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with uncertain value, when you consider England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone 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 bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the patience or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit approach was freeing during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on the coach's words in the aftermath, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format 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, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking 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.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered expectations and forced the team's entire approach into the spotlight.