Cricket Australia has no plans to alter the timing of the Boxing Day Test if chief Nick Hockley’s comments are anything to go by.
Gerard Whateley has led calls for the start time to be moved back, reflecting the crowd flow of Day 1.
Under Whateley’s suggestion, Day 1 would start at midday, paving the way for daylight savings to allow the day’s play to go past 7:00pm.
It’d also prove a boost for the City of Melbourne and its nightlife.
On Tuesday, and with the forecast of heavy rain, just 34,000 fans were present for the first ball.
That number grew to 52,000 by midday and jumped again to 62,000 just after lunch, where the figure would max out.
Whateley suggested moving back the Day 1 start time 90 minutes would prove more conducive to a better atmosphere with a larger crowd.
But without completely shutting down the idea, Hockley again knocked it back.
“Look, I mean the great thing is we got to play through until 7:00pm last night (after the rain)… even for those who had a bit of a lie in, I’m really thrilled and credit to the ground staff we got back on… tradition is a wonderful thing,” he told SEN Test Cricket before play on Day 2.
“You had two wonderful Big Bash matches to watch later on…”
The eventual crowd landed at 62,167.
The MCC and Cricket Australia had been hoping for a record Boxing Day attendance against Pakistan, but fell just short of the 63,478 set in 2016.
The forecast for Melbourne has improved in recent days, with more rain on Day 2 now unlikely.
Initial hopes of 60,000 are now very unlikely.
Listen to the full exchange here