The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, not just his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
