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Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming historic rivalry.

Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.

Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.

Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.

"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, not just his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.

"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. If not, we'll adjust."

Previous Setbacks

Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.

There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.

Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the contest.

Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the opener.

Alternative Arrangements

In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.

The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.

He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."

"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.

"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026