The pace bowler has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, aside from his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
