The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the prospects of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors around that, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
