Four teams will be in action on Thursday, with eyes on the World Test Championship final qualification. On the east of the Indian Ocean, in Melbourne, India will take on Australia in the fourth Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, while on the west, at the SuperSport Park in Centurion, South Africa will host Pakistan in the first of the two-match series.

The Proteas did not make a favourable start to their WTC cycle, winning only one of their first five matches, thus dropping to the bottom end of the points table. However, they turned their campaign on its head, winning all their next five Test matches, which included the series whitewash against Sri Lanka, as they rose to the top. Hence, of the four, South Africa, who will be playing with an all-seam attack, stand closest to earning the spot. They only need a win from any of the two matches against Pakistan to make the final.

However, Pakistan, who stand seventh in the table, could ruin their party, which could largely favour India, who currently stand third in the table.

How Pakistan can help India qualify for the WTC final

For India to make the final for the third time in a row without other results making a difference, they need to win the last two Test matches against Australia. However, if one game ends in a draw and the other in a win, India will either need Sri Lanka to at least pull off one draw against Australia in the impending two-Test series in January, or Pakistan to hold South Africa to a draw in one game and win the other.

If India lose one game and win the other, resulting in a 2-2 draw in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, Rohit Sharma and his men will need Sri Lanka to beat Australia by a margin of 1-0 or want Pakistan to whitewash South Africa. And if both the Tests in Melbourne and Sydney end in a draw, India will need Pakistan to win both their matches or hope Australia can't secure more than one win against Sri Lanka.

What are the chances of Pakistan pulling off a series win in South Africa?

Pakistan have long been struggling in Test cricket in South Africa, having lost 12 of their 15 matches since they first toured the country in 1995, and winning just two. Pakistan's below-par show in South Africa includes its lowest test score of 49 at the Wanderers in 2013.

Moreover, the team has been going through a turmoil in international cricket. Earlier this month, former Australia cricketer Jason Gillespie, who played an influential role in their home series win against England in October, resigned as the head coach. Hence, PCB named Aaqib Javed as their interim coach, with the former Pakistan fast bowler being their fourth head coach in this WTC cycle, with Mickey Arthur and Mohammad Hafeez quitting after one series.