The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, not only the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
