Regular captain Cummins was absent Australia's eight-wicket victory in the opening match at Perth while recovering from a back injury and was left out of the squad for the second Test announced last week.

Smith, however, mentioned Cummins looked fit during training and might be considered by selectors for the pink-ball Test.

"He appears to be in good shape to me, judging by how he’s bowled in the nets," the experienced batsman told reporters in Brisbane, where the second Test will start at the Gabba on Thursday.

"Obviously, the match intensity is different, but he's progressing well, knows his body thoroughly, and we’ll just wait and see."

Smith also did not confirm Nathan Lyon’s spot in the playing XI, although selectors might keep the specialist spinner and drop one of the one-Test fast bowlers, Brendan Doggett, to accommodate Cummins.

With Usman Khawaja sidelined due to a back injury, Travis Head is expected to open the batting in the day-night Test after his match-winning 123 off 83 balls as a makeshift opener in Perth’s second innings.

Smith described the 85-Test veteran Khawaja, who turns 39 this month, as a "quality player" but did not support his immediate return to the Test team.

"It’s not up to me to say whether I think that will happen or not," said Smith.

Local media reported England-born wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis is set to fill Head’s spot in the middle order for his first Test on home soil, but Smith said the team still needed to assess the Gabba pitch during training later in the day.

Cricket Australia confirmed on Wednesday that the team would announce their XI only at the toss on match day.

Inglis scored a century on debut against Sri Lanka in Galle in January and will line up for his fourth Test against Ben Stokes’s England.

"Yes, he’s clearly an aggressive batsman and performed very well on his Sri Lanka debut,” Smith said about Inglis.

"He’s been in excellent form... He handles fast bowling really well, so if given a chance, I’m confident he’ll do well for us."

Australia have won 12 of the 13 pink-ball Tests they have hosted, with their only defeat coming against the West Indies at the Gabba in January 2024. Day-night Tests use a pink ball instead of the usual red because it is easier to see under floodlights.

Batting can be challenging during twilight and night sessions when the pink ball tends to swing more, but Smith said Brisbane’s relatively firmer pitch compared to the softer surface at Adelaide Oval—the usual day-night Test venue—could provide some advantage to batsmen.

"Sometimes (the ball) can soften a bit and you see batsmen playing comfortably at times," Smith said.

"That’s something we need to consider going into this match and see how it unfolds."

Australia lead the five-Test series 1-0 after their two-day victory in Perth.