The Australian skipper has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the series.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
