The pace bowler has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief the selector has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, aside from his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress 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
