Pat Cummins has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
