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The England head coach despised the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as reductive and perhaps anticipating how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not improve.

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

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he wavered in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While net practice are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that simply keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (and uncertain value, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience in general, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, 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 bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the persistence or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's unconventional approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt remedy to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Focus and Team Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and missed two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative is to implement the plan discovered 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, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.