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The England head coach detested the term Bazball since it was coined, deeming it reductive and maybe foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, 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 claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as national coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he claims to block out external noise, he will have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his call – the moment he wavered in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and no guarantee, when you consider England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience in general, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have thus far fallen well short. 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 demonstrated the patience or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, apt remedy to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso display.

Based on McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a more familiar Test setting triggers his top form, 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 shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is perfect, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.