Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and various factors involved, not just the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
