The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, aside from his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and stated that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
