The Australian skipper has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
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The Historic Rivalry
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