The pace bowler has taken 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief the selector has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins 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 his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, aside from his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
