Pat Cummins has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. With luck starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
