The Australian skipper has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations at play, not just his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
