The pace bowler has taken 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"We know that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, not only his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
