The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
