The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, aside from his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the contest.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
