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Australia's chair of selectors the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.

Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.

Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in Perth.

The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.

"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, not just his injury, but further aspects," he commented.

"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, we'll adjust."

Past Concerns

The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.

He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.

He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the contest.

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 first Test.

Backup Options

In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.

The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.

The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."

"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."

Series Schedule

The Historic Rivalry

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026