The pace bowler has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors at play, not just the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Ideally from the opening match. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green 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.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
