The Australian skipper has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of taking part.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss 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.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
