The pace bowler has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, not only his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
