The pace bowler has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief the selector has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors at play, not just his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
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