The Australian skipper has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors at play, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
