The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors at play, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.
He has a history of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
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