Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors involved, not only the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
