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Australia's selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.

Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.

Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.

He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.

"We're aware that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, aside from his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."

Injury History

Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.

Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.

Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.

Bailey noted that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the opener.

Backup Options

Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.

The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.

Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."

"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."

Series Schedule

The Historic Rivalry

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026