Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief the selector has confirmed that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in the WACA.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, not just the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded 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.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
