The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in the WACA.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.
"We're aware that time is getting short and there are permutations involved, not only his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
