The pace bowler has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Initial reports 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 Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that the clock is ticking and various factors involved, not only his injury, but further aspects," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the contest.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
