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Australia's chair of selectors the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.

There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.

Earlier indications from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in Perth.

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

"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, not only the physical problem, but additional elements," the selector added.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."

Past Concerns

Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.

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

He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.

Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match.

Alternative Arrangements

If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.

The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.

Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."

"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.

"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."

Series Schedule

The Historic Rivalry

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026