The Australian skipper has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on November 21 in Western Australia.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, not only the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
