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The Australian chief selector the selector has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.

Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.

Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on November 21 in Perth.

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

"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, not just his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. With luck from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."

Past Concerns

The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.

There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.

The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.

Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.

Contingency Plans

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

All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.

Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."

"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.

"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route."

Match Calendar

The Historic Rivalry

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026