The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, not just his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out 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 "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear 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 be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
