The pace bowler has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back 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 scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors around that, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. With luck it's the first Test. If not, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
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The Historic Rivalry
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