The pace bowler has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of being involved.
"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations at play, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
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