Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the prospects of taking part.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, not only the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
