The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead 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 ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the prospects of being involved.
"We know that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
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