The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the prospects of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, not just the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
