The pace bowler has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan 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 acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
