The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in Perth.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and multiple considerations at play, not only his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. Ideally from the opening match. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
