The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, not just the physical problem, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
