Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and felt positive about his chances of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, 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 opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
