The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not only his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
