Boxing Day Test to continue as scheduled at the MCG after England and Australian players test negative ahead of day three

Australia and England will be able to go ahead with play on day three at the MCG after PCR tests came back negative for players from both sides. (Getty Images / Cricket Australia: Darrian Traynor)

Day three of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG will go ahead as scheduled after players from both teams returned negative PCR tests for COVID-19.

Cricket Australia confirmed the Australia and England players were tested on Monday evening.

The start of play was briefly in doubt on Monday morning after two members of the England team's support staff and two family members returned positive tests.

"The families of both sets of players also had PCR tests yesterday and all returned a negative test," Cricket Australia said in a statement on Tuesday morning.

"The England team’s support staff and their family members who tested positive after PCR tests yesterday are in isolation."

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The Test will resume as scheduled at 10:30am AEDT, with England trailing Australia by 51 runs with six wickets left in its second innings.

A win for Australia would clinch a 3-0 victory in the Ashes series, with Tests in Sydney and Hobart still to come.