Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the prospects of taking part.
"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, not just the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the series.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
