KEY POINTS:
MELBOURNE - Cricket officials are confident Australia's Ashes win won't take the sting out of the Boxing Day test at the MCG.
Despite the fourth and fifth tests being dead rubbers following Australia regaining the Ashes in Perth, the Boxing Day test is being tipped to make history, with officials predicting the world record for a single day's attendance to be broken.
The record currently stands at 90,800, set on day two of the fifth test against the West Indies at the MCG in February 1961.
Crowds of 95,000 have been forecast for the first three days of this year's MCG test, and more tickets will go on sale today.
Officials believe the record attendance for an entire test - of 350,354, set 70 years ago - could also be under threat.
Most of the interest in the match will be to see if Australia can continue on with its plans of whitewashing the series.
Melbourne's own Shane Warne will also be a focal point, as he's poised to become the first bowler to take 700 test wickets. Warne will start the match on 699 wickets.
England will also be desperate to gain something from the match, having endured a wretched series so far, plagued by costly lapses, bad team selections and the departures of senior players.
- AAP
