Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, not just the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"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.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
