The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of being involved.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors around that, not just the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
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