The pace bowler has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations at play, not just the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. With luck starting in Perth. If not, we'll adjust."
Injury History
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that Green will play 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 take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
