The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.
"We're aware that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, aside from the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
