The Australian skipper has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.
"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
