The pace bowler has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," he commented.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
