Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Perth.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and felt positive about his chances of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
