The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in the WACA.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
