The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors around that, not just his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
