The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not only his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that Green will play 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 participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
