The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. With luck starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
