The pace bowler has taken 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the series.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
