Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, not just the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the series.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
