The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, not just the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. With luck starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month 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 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.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 "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
