The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors around that, not only the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games anyway. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
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