The pace bowler has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors involved, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
