Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the prospects of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, not just his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a significant role. With luck starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
