The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the prospects of being involved.
"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations at play, not only his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
