The pace bowler has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a significant role. With luck it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in multiple past seasons forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
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 limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
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