The pace bowler has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors at play, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and confirmed that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," 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, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
