The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series.
There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, not just his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
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