Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, not only his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
