The Australian skipper has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, not just the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"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 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
