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The Australian chair of selectors the selector has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.

There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.

Earlier indications from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches kicking off on November 21 in the WACA.

The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.

"It's clear that the clock is ticking and there are permutations at play, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.

"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."

Previous Setbacks

The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.

There is a track record of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.

Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the series.

Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.

Alternative Arrangements

If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.

Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.

He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."

"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.

"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."

Series Schedule

The Historic Rivalry

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026