The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, not just his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
