The 5th Test of England vs India at Old Trafford has been cancelled with the visitors unable to field a team after covid has ravaged their camp. An initial statement from the ECB read that India had forfeited the Test and the series had ended at 2-2 but it has since been amended with the result uncertain.
India won the 1st Test at Lord's by 151 runs, before England equalised at the 2nd Test at Headingley (the Test at Trent Bridge was abandoned due to rain). But India took a 2-1 lead at the 4th Test at The Oval, trouncing England by 157 runs. England had hoped to tie the series in the 5th Test, which was due to take place from 10-14th September.
Day 1 of the 5th Test had been scheduled for Friday 10th September at 11am BST (3:30pm IST).
Date: 10th-14th September 2021
Start time: 11am BST / 3.30pm IST / 8pm AEST
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
Free stream: Kayo Sports (14-day trial)
Watch anywhere: ExpressVPN
UK stream: Sky Sports | Now
India stream: Sony Six
The India team has been plagued by Covid-19. First its coach Ravi Shastri tested positive (forcing bowling coach Bharat Arun, fielding coach R. Sridhar and physiotherapist Nitin Patel into isolation "as a precautionary measure"), followed by assistant physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar. As a result, the team's training session the day before the start of play was cancelled, with the team told to stay in their hotel rooms until further notice.
Parmar was called upon to replace Patel while he isolated following his positive test. What will worry India is that Parmar has been working closely with several players as they deal with injuries – these include Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja (both knee injuries), Cheteshwar Pujara (ankle) and Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma who both missed the 4th Test.
The Indian contingent met with the BCCI (The Board of Control for Cricket in India) on Thursday morning, and will liaise with the ECB (English Cricket Board) on how best to proceed.
Joe Root was down to captain the England side, with Virat Kohli again leading the visitors. England had recalled left-arm spinner Jack Leach and wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler to the team. Buttler missed the 4th Test due to the birth of his second child. Jasprit Bumrah had returned for India, despite having bowled an astonishing 151 overs in the last month, 22 of which were in the fourth and fifth days of the 4th Test.
This was India's chance to make history: a win would have been its first Test victory at Old Trafford after nine failed attempts. But the team were in history-making form: in this series, Kohli became only the third India captain to win a Test match at Lord's, and the team won its first Test match at The Oval in 50 years.
Watch an England vs India free live stream
You can watch an England vs India 5th Test live stream thanks to the Aussie streaming service Kayo Sports. Subscriptions costs from AU$25 a month but new users get a free 14-day free trial. Good to know, right?
Stuck abroad this week? Simply use a VPN to access the Kayo Sports streaming service from anywhere in the world, without being blocked. We recommend ExpressVPN as it comes with a 30-day, risk-free money-back guarantee.
There's no contract with Kayo – you can cancel any time. Kayo has the rights to stream a host of top-notch sporting events, so it's perfect for armchair sports fans.
England vs India live stream abroad using a VPN
Even if you have subscribed to the relevant England vs India 5th Test cricket rights holders, you won't be able to use them when outside your own country. The service will know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block your access.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, such that the servers and services you’re accessing aren’t aware of what you’re doing. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.
There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. If you're not happy with the service any time within the first 30 days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.
2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For the England vs India, you may wish to choose 'AUS' for Kayo Sports.
3. Then head over to Kayo Sports on your browser or device and enjoy the England vs India 5th Test live stream.
England vs India live stream in India
Sony Six is the place to find an England vs India live stream in India. Sony has the rights to the whole tour, including this week's 5th Test, so it's a good investment. Watch on Sony Six HD, or catch the action on the Sony Six app or Sony LIV website.
It's cheap as chips: premium subscription costs from Rs999 a year, or around £10/$14/AU$19. That includes access to the TV channels, the mobile app and the web player.
Don't forget: you'll need to use a VPN to access your Sony Six when outside India, without being blocked. We recommend ExpressVPN as it comes with a 30-day, risk-free money-back guarantee.
England vs India live stream in the UK
Sky Sports has the rights to air the entire 2021 Test series between India and England. Catch the action on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket in HD.
Don't want to subscribe to Sky Sports? You can always buy a Sky Sports pass on Now, Sky's streaming platform. Note that the mobile pass will not offer you access to the cricket, so either go for a £9.99 Day Pass or, for better value, it's £33.99 for the month.
US: England vs India live stream
Want to catch the England vs India 5th Test Stateside? Willow TV is the official US broadcaster parter. Willow Premium Subscription costs $9.99 a month and there is no free trial period.
You can also subscribe to Willow via Sling TV, Verizon Fios TV, Spectrum TV, Google Fiber, Xfinity TV and CenturyLink.
Sling's Willow Cricket package offers unlimited access to Willow and Willow Extra, so it's a great deal for cricket fans seeking an India vs England live stream.
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