The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and various factors involved, not just his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a significant role. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
