The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors around that, not just the back issue, but further aspects," he commented.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
