Pat Cummins has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors around that, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in multiple past seasons forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy 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, should it hinder progress for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
