India vs Australia live stream: how to watch 1st Test cricket online from anywhere

Virat Kohli of India bats during day one of the First Test match between Australia and India

(Image credit: Daniel Kalisz - CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

Watch an India vs Australia 1st Test live stream

You can watch the India vs Australia 1st Test on Star Sports Select 1 or via Disney Plus Hotstar in India. Fans in Australia can tune in on Fox Cricket and via a Kayo Sports free trial. In the UK, the match is being shown on BT Sport, and viewers in the US can watch an India vs Australia live stream on ESPN Plus and Willow TV. Use a VPN to watch your usual stream when travelling abroad. Full details on how to watch India vs Australia just below.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Dates: Thursday, February 9 - Monday, February 13

Start time: 9.30am IST / 3pm AEDT / 4am GMT / 11pm ET

TV channel: Star Sports Select 1 (IN) | Fox Cricket (AU) | BT Sport (UK)

Free live stream: Kayo Sports trial (AU) | Sky Sport Now trial (NZ)

Use ExpressVPN to watch any stream

India vs Australia 1st Test: preview

Winning a Test series over India has become the Australian cricket team's equivalent of conquering Everest, and Pat Cummins would go down in Aussie lore if he manages to pull it off. Securing the Border–Gavaskar Trophy in India would make the achievement twice as impressive.

It's not looking great so far in the 1st Test from Nagpur, though. A dismal first day saw the Aussies lose their first innings for just 177. India have suffered no such blushes with that bat. Opener Rohit Sharma has picked up a century and most of the order has at least got their eye in at some point, with the Men in Blue heading for a respectable total on day two.

India have won the past three Test series these two sides have played, the most recent being one of the most remarkable. India had to overcome setback after setback after setback just to stay in the game. That they ended up winning it has further fuelled the legend around this greatest of cricketing nations.

Australia enter the series as the top-ranked Test team in the world, and a near-shoo-in for the final of the World Test Championship, which is set to be played in June. They're missing star pace bowler Josh Hazlewood through an achilles issue, though their injury problems pale in comparison to India's.

Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah are just some of their automatic first-choices out of action, but such is the excitement around Shubman Gill that those absentees might soon be forgotten. Can India's new superstar translate his sparkling white-ball form to the biggest stage?

Rohit Sharma's men are currently second in the World Test Championship standings, but they won't play again after this series, while Sri Lanka are in striking distance. Read on as we explain how to watch an India vs Australia 1st Test live stream and watch every session online from wherever you are.

India vs Australia Test schedule: dates and times

1st Test: Feb 9-13 一 New VCA Stadium, Nagpur 一 9.30am IST / 3pm AEDT
2nd Test: Feb 17-21 一 Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi 一 9.30am IST / 3pm AEDT
3rd Test: Mar 1-5 一 HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala 一 9.30am IST / 3pm AEDT
4th Test: Mar 9-13 一 Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad 一 9.30am IST / 3pm AEDT

How to watch India vs Australia for FREE in Australia

Cricket fans Down Under can watch India vs Australia on Fox Sports 501 and via Foxtel, with play set to begin at 3pm AEDT on each day of the 1st Test.

Don't have Fox? You best option is to sign up for a one-week Kayo Sports FREE trial.

There are no lock-in contracts and it gives you access to over 50 other sports events including the NRL, NFL, F1, NHL, MLB, cricket... the list goes on! Handy if you don't want to go all-out on Fox.

After that, the Basic plan costs just $27.50 a month and lets you stream on two screens, while Premium is $35 a month for simultaneous viewing on up to three devices.

Outside Australia? Don't forget, you can take your cricket coverage abroad with you as well. For those wanting to watch home coverage of sports from overseas, a good VPN is the solution.

How to watch India vs Australia Test cricket from outside your country

If you're abroad right now and struggling to tap into your usual coverage of the Test cricket, you'll want a VPN. This'll help you circumvent the geo-blocking that will try to stop you watching a India vs Australia live stream in particular parts of the world.

They're a useful means of getting around this issue, are cheap, and easy to set-up as well. Here's how it's done.

Use a VPN to watch India vs Australia from anywhere

ExpressVPN is the world's top VPN
We've put all of the major VPN services to the test and we rate ExpressVPN as the absolute best of the bunch. It's compatible with loads of devices including iOS, Android, Amazon Fire Stick, PlayStation, Apple TV and such, and we found it secure, speedy and simple-to-use.

Another great perk is the fact that it comes with a 30-day money back guarantee and 3-months FREE, so you can see if it's right for you with no strings attached.

- Try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free for 30 days

Once you've downloaded the software, just follow the prompts to install it then select the location you want to relocate your IP address to - it really is that easy.

How to watch India vs Australia: live stream Test cricket in India

The best data plans to catch all the live action (India-only)

How to watch India vs Australia 1st Test: live stream cricket in UK

You can watch India vs Australia on BT Sport in the UK, but be warned that play is set to begin at 4am GMT throughout the 1st Test.

Fans who are happy to brave the unsociable start times can live stream India vs Australia using BT Sport's £25 Monthly Pass, which gets you everything BT Sport has to offer, including Champions League football and UFC, without a long-term commitment.

The BT Sport app will let subscribers watch the cricket on any number of devices, including mobiles, tablets, consoles and smart TVs.

Related: how to watch a Premier League live stream

How to watch India vs Australia: live stream 1st Test in New Zealand

Cricket fans can watch India vs Australia on Sky Sport in New Zealand, with play set to get underway at 5pm NZDT across all five days of the 1st Test.

If you don't have Sky Sport on cable, you can use the streaming-only service, Sky Sport Now. It's $19.99 per week or $39.99 per month, and it also shows every Premier League game this season. The monthly package comes with a 7-day free trial.

Meanwhile, Sky Sport subscribers can watch the cricket online using the country's Sky Go service.

Anyone in New Zealand from abroad or vice-versa can use the VPN route outlined earlier to access their preferred coverage just like they would at home.

India vs Australia live stream: where to watch Test cricket in the US

Cricket fans in the US are spoilt for choice, with both ESPN Plus and Willow TV showing the India vs Australia 1st Test.

Just be warned that play is set to begin at 11pm ET / 8pm PT across all five days of the match.

ESPN Plus+ monthly plans cost $9.99 a month, while the cost-saving annual subscription is priced at $99.99 a year.

But there's even better value to be had if you grab ESPN+ as part of the big Disney Plus Bundle. As well as ESPN Plus live sports and documentaries, you'll get access to the hugely impressive Disney Plus catalog, which features Marvel movies, every Simpsons episode ever, the complete Star Wars canon, Pixar films, and much more, plus all the great shows and movies that Hulu offers.

And the cost is super reasonable - you only have to pay $13.99 a month for the Disney Plus bundle.

Alternatively, Willow TV is available from a number of cable providers including Dish, Spectrum, Xfinity, Verizon Fios and more.

If you don't have cable, you can get Willow TV through a cord-cutting streaming service like Sling TV. Already have Sling? Add Willow TV for an extra $5 for one month. If you don't have Sling, you can currently bag a big six of a bargain by getting your first month with a 50% discount.

Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. He’s written about technology, science and politics for publications including Gizmodo, The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.