The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, not only the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
He has a history of spinal problems, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery 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.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
