The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable 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 Cummins' participation, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors at play, not just the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss 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 contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
