The Australian skipper has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, not just the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
