The Australian skipper has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on the 21st of November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and there are permutations involved, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.
The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature 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 opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
