The pace bowler has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and various factors at play, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," he commented.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. If not, we'll adjust."
Injury History
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
