The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"We know that the clock is ticking and various factors at play, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the series.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
