Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
