The pace bowler has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns 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 official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in Western Australia.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, not just the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a significant role. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
