The Australian skipper has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors around that, not just the back issue, but further aspects," he commented.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. With luck starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.
Bailey noted that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
