The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not just his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Backup Options
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature 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 participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
