The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of being involved.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and there are permutations at play, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," he commented.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy 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 regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for a short period, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
