The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, not just his injury, but further aspects," he commented.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
