The Australian skipper has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the prospects of being involved.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations involved, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
