The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.
"We know that the clock is ticking and various factors at play, not only the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out 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 confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
