Watch England vs Pakistan 1st Test live streams
This may be Pakistan's first tour of England in six years, but the recent chaos in the hosts' ranks has rather dominated the narrative. The series ushers in England's post-Bazball era, with the first of three Tests taking place at Headingley in Leeds.
England start Day 2 on 112/2 after 25 overs, having bowled Pakistan out for 171 in 48.1 overs in the first innings. Play begins at 6am ET / 11am BST on all five days.
Ollie Robinson took the wicket of Azan Awais with the game's very first ball, and things just got better and better for the hosts. Robinson and Josh Tongue claimed five wickets apiece, for 51 and 46 runs respectively, and marked the rare feat – the last time it happened was in 2006 – by having the groundstaff slice the ball in half.
It's been quite a change of pace from England's shambolic 2-1 defeat by New Zealand on home soil in June, which served as an aptly ignominious bookend to a four-year spell under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes characterised by disorder, indiscipline and occasional brilliance.
Stokes walked, before McCullum had to be pushed. Former Black Caps skipper Stephen Fleming has replaced the latter, but it speaks to the crisis of maturity in the England setup that Joe Root had to be strongarmed into taking up the captaincy. He endured an unhappy five-year spell as England's Test skipper pre-Stokes, but Harry Brook's history of bad decisions both on and off the field left the ECB with little other option.
The Shaheens soared to an eight-wicket victory over the West Indies at the start of the month, which earned a series draw in the Caribbean, before beating a Professional County Club Select XI by seven wickets last week. The warmup marked a return to form for Saud Shakeel, who racked up an unbeaten century.
Left-arm spinner Ali Usman, meanwhile, has been a consistent threat for Pakistan, who believe that the lengthy British heatwave may have created spin-friendly conditions. Skipper Babar Azam, however, is having to sit out the 1st Test, having had his right hand struck by deliveries against both the West Indies and PCCXI.
Follow our guide below for where to watch England vs Pakistan 2026 live streams from anywhere with a VPN. We've also listed the full schedule and venues below.
England vs Pakistan 1st Test |
11am BST – Wed, 19 Aug |
Free streams |
PTV Sports / Tapmad (Pakistan) |
WATCH ANYWHERE |
How can I watch England vs Pakistan 1st Test for free?
Lucky viewers in Pakistan can watch the England vs Pakistan 1st Test, courtesy of PTV Sports and ad-supported streaming service Tapmad.
If you're from Pakistan but you're currently abroad, you can simply use a VPN to tap into that free England vs Pakistan coverage. More details below...
Watch England vs Pakistan 1st Test live streams from anywhere
You won't be able to watch your regular England vs Pakistan 2026 live streams while travelling abroad. The platform will detect that you're in a foreign country and block you.
You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch the cricket from anywhere in the world.
We rate NordVPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sports. It offers a generous 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.
How to watch England vs Pakistan 1st Test in the US
Willow TV is showing the England vs Pakistan series in the US.
If you don't have it as part of your cable package, you can watch Willow's coverage through your choice of Sling TV's Desi Binge Plus or Dakshin Flex plans – starting from $10 per month.
Outside the US right now? Use NordVPN to access your preferred coverage of the cricket.
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Watch England vs Pakistan 1st Test live streams in the UK
The 2026 England vs Pakistan 1st Test, and series as a whole, is being shown on Sky Sports in the UK, across its Main Event and Cricket channels.
Need the Sky Sports lowdown before you invest? Check out our dedicated guide to all things Sky.
Outside the UK during the tour? Use NordVPN to watch England vs Pakistan 1st Test as if you were back at home.
Watch England vs Pakistan 1st Test live streams in Australia
The England vs Pakistan 1st Testis available to watch in its entirety on Fox Cricket via Foxtel, 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.
If you're currently spending time in Australia from Pakistan, use a good VPN, as detailed above, to tap into your free England vs Pakistan coverage.
England vs Pakistan 2026 series schedule
Click to see full schedule▼
(All times BST)
1st Test
11am – Wed 19 Aug to Sun 23 Aug (Headingley, Leeds)
2nd Test
11am – Thu 27 Aug to Mon 31 Aug (Lord's, London)
3rd Test
11am – Wed 9 Sep to Sun 13 Sep (Edgbaston, Birmingham)
What are the England vs Pakistan 1st Test squads?
England squad: Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox (wk), Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Aamir Jamal, Ghazi Ghori (wk), Sajid Khan, Shan Masood, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Khurram Shahzad, Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel, Ubaid Shah, Ali Usman, Awais Zafar
What is the England vs Pakistan head-to-head in Tests?
England have won 30 of their 92 previous Test encounters with Pakistan. The Shaheens have won 23, and the other 39 ended in draws.
In England, the head-to-head stands at 24-6-20.
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