The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"We know that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
