The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of taking part.
"We know that the clock is ticking and various factors involved, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident 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 Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
