The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"We know that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, not just his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back 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
