Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, not just his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury 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 developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
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