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The England head coach detested the label Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as reductive and perhaps anticipating how it could be weaponised down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his commitment to the bit. As much as he claims to block out external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It meant a significant amount of focus was used up before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a opportunity to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with uncertain value, as shown by England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Deficiencies and Philosophical Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is in this area where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the patience or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's unconventional outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen form taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Going by 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 switch to a traditional Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is ideal, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.