🔗 Share this article

Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming historic rivalry.

There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.

Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.

Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.

"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, not just the back issue, but further aspects," he commented.

"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. With luck it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.

Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.

The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.

He mentioned that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.

Backup Options

In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.

All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.

He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."

"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.

"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."

Fixture Details

Australia vs England: The Ashes

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026