Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, not just his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. With luck it's the first Test. If not, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
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