The Australian skipper has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, not only the back issue, but further aspects," he commented.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned 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.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
