Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in Western Australia.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, not only his injury, but further aspects," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot 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 "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
