The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the prospects of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations involved, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
