Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of taking part.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, aside from his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in multiple past seasons forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
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