Pat Cummins has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors involved, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, 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 discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to 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, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
