Australia to allow 30,000 fans per day at Boxing Day Test in Melbourne

A view of the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Victoria. (File)

The iconic Boxing Day Test between India and Australia is set to be played in front of 30,000 fans per day after the Victorian government eased crowd restrictions on Thursday.

In a world scarred by the COVID-19 pandemic, the limited-overs series between Australia and India saw the return of spectators.

The Boxing Day Test scheduled to be played between December 26 to 30 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was earlier restricted to 25 percent of the total capacity crowd — about 25,000 fans a day.

However, the decision to increase the cap to 30,000 was made after the state went past 40 days without a new COVID-19 case.

“We’re so excited to be able to welcome so many fans to the MCG in what’s been such a challenging year for Victorians! #AUSvIND,” Cricket Australia tweeted.

The much-anticipated four-Test series is scheduled to begin from December 17 in Adelaide.

The Adelaide Test will be the only five-day game that India skipper Virat Kohli will feature in before he returns to be with his actor wife Anushka Sharma for the birth of their first child in early January.

It will be the first-ever Pink Ball Test the two sides play against each other and will have 50 percent of the total capacity of the crowd.

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