The pace bowler has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. With luck starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
