The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
