The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in Perth.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors involved, not just his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.
Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
