The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief the selector has stated that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, not just his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. With luck starting in Perth. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach 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 recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
