The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors at play, not only the back issue, but further aspects," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort 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 first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
