The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of participating.
"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations involved, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
