The pace bowler has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and there are permutations involved, not just the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a significant role. With luck starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
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