Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief the selector has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors involved, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
