The Australian skipper has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about his chances of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, not just his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" 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 Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
