Pat Cummins has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, not only his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
