The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in Perth.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, not just his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out 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 stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
