Pat Cummins has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, not just the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
