How to watch England vs Pakistan 1st Test: Free Streams & TV Channels

August 19, 2026

Watch England vs Pakistan live streams as the 1st Test from Headingley, Leeds, begins a three-match series full of intrigue. Joe Root returns as England captain as the backlash from the hosts previous series continues, while Babar Azam’s visitors seek a rare away series victory.

“Bazball” is finally over, with coach Brendon McCullum let go from the Test gig days after Ben Stokes announced a shock international retirement after England’s 2-1 defeat by New Zealand in June. Stephen Fleming, another Kiwi, doesn’t take the reins as the new Test coach until the winter so Marcus Trescothick is in interim coaching charge here.

Root’s return as skipper – having resigned in 2022 after 27 wins in 64 Tests with the job weighing too heavily – is largely down to a distinct lack of alternatives. After all, Harry Brook, vice-captain under Stokes and the white-ball skipper, has had notorious incidents similar to that which precipitated Stokes’ exit. Wins over entertainment appears the new mantra.

England must trim their in-form bowling unit of Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Ollie Robinson and the returning Brydon Carse, while working out how to deal with the loss of their principal all-rounder in Stokes. Jordan Cox will bat at three in absence of the injured Jacob Bethell.

Pakistan, meanwhile, are coming off a hard-fought victory in their tour game against a Professional County Club Select XI. Despite trailing by 67 in the first innings, they won the match, chasing 264 on the last day thanks to Saud Shakeel’s unbeaten century. But they’re currently 7th in the ICC’s Test rankings and have only just won their first away Test – in West Indies – after three long years.

New-ball bowler Mohammad Abbas is ideally suited to English conditions, with Mohammad Ali, Khurram Shahzad, and Aamer Jamal to maintain their bite through the series. Abbas faces a late fitness test after injuring a finger in that warm-up game.

Pakistan won the last Test series against England 2-1, albeit in home conditions. Can they start this overseas series well with a win?

You can catch all the England vs Pakistan 1st Test action live and free. Read on to find out how.

Can I stream England vs Pakistan 1st Test for free?

Cricket fans in Pakistan are in luck!

Digital streaming service Tapmad is showing the England vs Pakistan test series completely free, albeit with ads playing during over breaks and fall of wickets.

Those still tied to the cord can also watch the match free in Pakistan, thanks to the PTV Sports TV channel.

Cord-cutters in Australia, meanwhile, have a sneaky trick they can use to watch the Test match live: Kayo Sports offers a 7-day free trial to new users, letting you catch all five days of action live and free.

Outside any of these countries right now? No worries, you can still stream the action by using a VPN. More details below…

Use a VPN to watch England vs Pakistan 1st Test from anywhere

If you’re keen to watch cricket but you’re away from home and your preferred coverage is geo-blocked, you could always use a VPN to access it (assuming you’re not breaching any broadcaster T&Cs, of course). You may be surprised by how simple it is to do.

The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with a 75% discount, and three months for free.

Quick start: Using a VPN to watch the 1st Test between England and Pakistan from anywhere

Using a VPN is incredibly simple, just follow these steps.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we’ve said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you’re visiting the U.S. and want to view a Pakistani streaming service, you’d select a location from Pakistan (like Karachi) from the server list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Tampad and watch England vs Pakistan 1st Test just like you would at home.

How to watch England vs Pakistan 1st Test live streams in the US

Cricket streaming service Willow TV is the place to watch the England vs Pakistan 1st Test in the US.

If you don’t have it as part of your cable package, you can watch Willow coverage through your choice of Sling TV’s Desi Binge Plus or Dakshin Flex plans – starting from $10 per month.

Alternatively, you can add Willow TV to your Prime Video subscription and watch cricket live streams from there.

Outside the US right now? You can make use of NordVPN to catch the action.

How to watch England vs Pakistan 1st Test live streams in the UK

The England vs Pakistan 1st Test is being shown on Sky Sports on the Cricket and Main Event channels.

Sky Sports plans start from £35/month or £22 if you’re an existing Sky subscriber. Alternatively, grab a NOW Sports subscription from £14.99/day or £34.99/month.

If you’re on holiday outside the UK, you can use NordVPN to access Eng vs Pak coverage.

How to watch England vs Pakistan 1st Test live streams in India

India flag — (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Unfortunately for cricket fans in India, the England vs Pakistan 1st Test hasn’t yet been picked up by any streaming service. We’ll update you here if that changes!

If you’re currently travling in India but want to watch the matches live, you’ll need to get yourself a VPN to access streaming services back home.

How to watch England vs Pakistan 1st Test live streams in Australia

The England vs Pakistan Test series is being shown on Fox Cricket via Foxtel in Australia, with live streaming available via Kayo Sports.

Kayo Sports starts at AU$30 per month after a 7-day free trial. Or you can get your first month for AU$1.

Remember if you’re out of Australia at all during the match, get NordVPN to stream Eng vs Pak from anywhere in the world.

How to watch England vs Pakistan 1st Test live streams in Pakistan

In India, England vs Pakistan First Test is free-to-air on PTV Sports (TV) and on Tapmad for cord-cutters.

That said, the free tier on Tapmad will have a lower-quality stream with ads playing during over breaks and fall of wickets. There’s a premium tier, too, at PKR 499 per month, which unlocks an ad-free, high-definition (HD) stream.

If you’re currently out of Pakistan but want to watch an England vs Pakistan 1st Test live stream, you’ll need to get yourself a VPN, as per the instructions above.

England vs Pakistan 1st Test Q+A

Squads

England: Joe Root (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sam Cook, Matthew Fisher, Ollie Robinson, Shoaib Bashir, Josh Tongue.

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Ghazi Ghori (wk), Awais Zafar, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Abdullah Fazal, Aamer Jamel, Salman Ali Agha, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Sajid Khan, Ubaid Shah, Ali Usman

England vs Pakistan Test series schedule

1st Test: 19-23 August, Headingley (11am BST)

2nd Test: 27-31 August, Lord’s (11am BST)

3rd Test: 9-13 September, Edgbaston (11am BST)

Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Source

Watch England vs Pakistan live streams as the 1st Test from Headingley, Leeds, begins a three-match series full of intrigue. Joe Root returns as England captain as the backlash from the hosts previous series continues, while Babar Azam’s visitors seek a rare away series victory. “Bazball” is finally over, with…