The pace bowler has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
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 21 November in the WACA.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted 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 first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
