The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, not just his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
He mentioned that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
