The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, not just the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
