The Australian skipper has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Perth.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations involved, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
