Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and there are permutations at play, not only the physical problem, but additional elements," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he's going to play a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
