The Australian skipper has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
