The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, not just the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
