The pace bowler has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. With luck from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
