India-Australia Boxing Day Test could be moved out of the MCG due to growing COVID-19 cases

The coronavirus pandemic has put a shadow on international sports all over the world, and the latest to be affected could be the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne later this year. This year’s Boxing Day Test will be contested between India and Australia from December 26.

A rapid rise in COVID-19 cases, especially in the state of Victoria in Australia, has left the authorities concerned, and they're now unsure about the traditional Boxing Day Test going ahead as scheduled at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The Australian state of Victoria had 75 new cases on Monday (June 29), and as a result, neighbouring state Queensland have closed their borders to ensure there is no threat of the virus spreading.

India are set to tour Australia for a four-Test series beginning in the month of December. The first Test is supposed to get underway at the Gabba in Brisbane, Queensland from December 3.

The second Test is slated to be a day-night affair between the two sides at the Adelaide Oval.

The Cricket Australia (CA) said in a statement that the decision was mutually decided between them and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and that they remained committed to playing the series on “alternative dates”.

The CA will bank heavily on the year-ending four-match Test series against India to boost its revenues. Should the infection spread in Victoria, CA could be forced to look at alternative venues for the Boxing Day Test.

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Boxing Day Test could be moved out of the MCG

Former Australian captain Mark Taylor said that the Boxing Day Test could definitely move out of Melbourne, and that the Optus Stadium in Perth or the Adelaide Oval could be alternate venues for the Boxing Day Test.

“Could it move? Obviously, because if you look at what is happening across Australia by Christmas time the MCG may only be able to host 10,000 or 20,000 people which will not look great for an iconic test like Australia and India,” Mark Taylor was quoted as saying by Channel Nine earlier this week.

“You move that to Optus stadium in Perth or even Adelaide Oval you will get full venues. Adelaide in particular loves seeing the Indians play. The India-Pakistan game in the World Cup sold out in 52 minutes or something,” Mark Taylor added.

The spurt comes at a time when Australia and Zimbabwe have agreed to postpone three One-Day Internationals scheduled in August. Zimbabwe were due to play the first match at an undecided venue in north Australia on August 9, with another clash set to take place three days later, followed by a final fixture in Townsville on August 15.

Queensland have issued new directives that force teams based in the state into a 14-day quarantine, should they play a club in Melbourne.

But Queensland clubs would also be forced into quarantine if they either played in Melbourne, or came up against any team that had been in Melbourne in the preceding 14 days.