The Australian skipper has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
