The Australian skipper has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
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 the 21st of November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
