The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, aside from his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" 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 excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that Green will play 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 first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
