The Australian skipper has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
