The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations involved, not just his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
