The pace bowler has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and there are permutations at play, aside from the back issue, but further aspects," he commented.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the series.
Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
