Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"We know that the clock is ticking and various factors involved, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
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The Historic Rivalry
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