Australia vs England Ashes First Test live stream — how to watch from anywhere

The Australia vs England Ashes First Test is approaching its halfway point and the Aussies are well on top after the first two innings.

So far, pretty much everything has gone Australia's way other than the toss, which Joe Root won. But even there the Aussies came out on top, with the England captain's decision to bat first looking worse by the minute.

Rory Burns was bowled first ball by Mitchell Starc, Root himself made a duck and only Jos Buttler and Ollie Pope offered any real defence as England struggled to 147 all out.

Nor were conditions particularly bowler-friendly, as became obvious once David Warner (94) and Marnus Labuschagne (74) put Australia in control. Travis Head then ensured they'd have a healthy lead, with an unbeaten 112 by the end of Day 2.

With Jack Leach smashed around the park (1 for 95 off 11 overs) and Ben Stokes injured in the outfield, there seems little chance that England can get anything from this game. But with the second test in Adelaide starting in a week's time, they'll want to at least play themselves into form so they have a chance to level the series.

Day 3 starts later today (11.30 p.m. GMT) and could be decisive. Here's how they line up:

Australia: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wkt), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

England: Joe Root (c), Rory Burns, Jos Buttler (wkt), Haseeb Hameed, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

So read on for details of how to watch the Australia vs England Ashes First Test live stream, and also check out our full guide to how to watch Ashes 2021, including the schedule, squads and more. And if you're a sports fan in general, you won't want to miss the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix live stream either.

How to watch the Australia vs England Ashes First Test live stream from anywhere

It's natural that you might want to watch the Australia vs England Ashes First Test live stream from your home country — after all, there's nothing like enjoying the action with commentators and pundits you already know. But what if you're not there when the game is on?

Look no further than a VPN, or virtual private network. A VPN makes it look as if you're surfing the web from your home country, rather than the one you're in. That means you can access the streaming services you already pay for, from anywhere on Earth. Or anywhere that has an internet connection, at least.

For instance, an Australian who's currently in the U.K. could watch the Australia vs England Ashes First Test live stream via a Kayo Sports free trial, even though they're not in Australia. 

They're totally legal, inexpensive and easy to use. We've tested lots of the best VPN services and our favorite right now is ExpressVPN, thanks to its combination of superb speed, great customer service and excellent device support. 

It also offers a no-questions-asked 30-day money-back guarantee, so you could check it out without having to sign up long term.

Speed, security and simplicity combine to make ExpressVPN our favorite VPN service. In our testing, we were impressed by its fast connection times and by its ability to access more than 3,000 services in 160 locations across 94 countries. A 30-day money-back guarantee is another bonus.

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Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

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

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.K. and want to view an Australian service, you'd select Australia from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Kayo Sports or another service and watch the match.

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Australia vs England Ashes First Test live streams in the UK

You'll be able to watch the Australia vs England Ashes First Test live stream in the U.K. on BT Sport, which has ended Sky Sports' Ashes dominance. 

The action will be shown on BT 1HD, with Day 3 action starting at 11.30 p.m GMT today (Thursday, December 9).

As well as being able to watch on live TV, subscribers will also be able to tune in via the BT Sport website or the BT Sport app for iOS or Android.

Prices differ hugely depending on whether you already have BT TV and a BT broadband subscription. If you have both, you can add the Sports package for £15/month plus a £20 upfront fee, or go for the £40/month Big Sports package which also includes all of the Sky Sports channels.

Another option for non-BT subscribers is the BT Sport Monthly Pass (£25), which lets you watch via an app for a fixed time.

All sounds great, right? But if you're not in the U.K., you can still follow the Australia vs England Ashes First Test live stream by using one of the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN.

How to watch Australia vs England Ashes First Test live streams in Australia

Lucky Aussies can watch the Australia vs England Ashes First Test live stream on multiple services including Channel Seven, Fox Cricket via Foxtel or the Foxtel Go app, and Kayo Sports. 

Fox is available as part of many pay TV packages, but if you don't already have it then Kayo might be a better bet. It can be accessed via a dedicated mobile or tablet app, and also on Chromecast and Apple TV — plus, there's a 14-day free trial available if you want to try the service before committing to a subscription. 

Once the trial is over, it costs a very reasonable $25 AUD per month for the basic package. A premium subscription is also available for $35 AUD per month, but this merely gives you the ability to access three simultaneous streams, rather than two. 

Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN to watch all the action on your Fox or Kayo account, as if you were back home.

How to watch Australia vs England Ashes First Test live streams in the US

Despite the USA not being involved, cricket fans in the U.S. (and Canada) can watch the Australia vs England Ashes First Test live stream on the excellently named Willow TV. 

Willow is available via various cable packages including Dish, Fios, Spectrum, Xfinity and more, but if you've cut the cord and don't have cable, don't worry — because you can also watch Willow via Sling TV. 

You'll need a Sling subscription, which costs $35 for either the Orange or Blue package, and can then add Willow TV for $10/month or $60/year. 

However, right now Sling is offering a 30-day trial for the bargain price of $10 and Willow TV is offering its first month for just $5 — so you could watch most of the Ashes for just $15. 

But what if you already use those services but aren't in the U.S. right now? As we explained above, your best bet will be to use a VPN such as ExpressVPN so you can access them wherever you are.

Sling TV offers two packages, both of which cost $35 a month. Willow TV is available as an add-on to either. Sling is currently offering $25 dollars off the first month.

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How to watch the Australia vs England Ashes First Test live stream in New Zealand

New Zealanders can tune in to the Australia vs England Ashes First Test live stream on Sky Sport. This costs $57.98 NZD per month, or $31.99/month extra if you already have Sky but not Sport. Plus there's currently an offer which gives you your first month free when you sign up for a year.

Alternatively, you could go for the Sky Sport Now service, which gives you just the Sport channels but for a reduced cost of $19.99/week / $39.99/month or $399/year. 

Not at home in New Zealand right now? You can still follow the Test by using one of the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN. 

How to watch the Australia vs England Ashes First Test live stream in India

You'll need the Sony Sports Network to watch the Australia vs England Ashes First Test live stream, with the match shown in English on Sony Six and in Hindi on Sony Ten 3. Other languages are available on Sony Ten 4. 

Another option is the Sony Liv service, which costs Rs 999 for a year, Rs 699 for six months, or Rs 299 per month for the Premium version (which you'll need for the Ashes 2021. 

If you already subscribe to Sony Live, but are outside of India right now, you can simply choose one of the best VPN services such as ExpressVPN to live stream the Australia vs England Ashes First Test wherever you are are. 

Australia vs England Ashes First Test scorecards

England 1st Innings: 147 all out

Australia 1st Innings: 343/7