The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief the selector has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors at play, not only his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of spinal problems, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
