The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, aside from the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Injury History
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Backup Options
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
