The 23-year-old made an eye-catching impression for Australia in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series whitewash of New Zealand, his first appearances for his country in 15 months. He collected eight wickets in the three matches, including a career-best 4-41 in Canberra, as well as bowling repeatedly at 150km/h.

The question of when he will be considered again for Test selection, five years after his celebrated only five-day match for Australia, lingers and it is understood the subject of Cummins' prospects for Test availability were raised during a meeting of Cricket Australia's board in Melbourne on Thursday.

While Pat Howard, CA's general manager of team performance, and Cummins himself have earmarked next year's home Ashes series as the logical point for the quick to return to the Test set-up, there are some on the board who have asked why shouldn't be considered for the four-Test tour of India.

CA's directors do not tell selectors who to choose or not but their influence was laid bare during the extraordinary aftermath to Australia's innings defeat to South Africa in the second Test in Hobart last month.

Board members were asked to provide individual comments on what direction the Australian team should move at that crisis point. After Rod Marsh's resignation as chairman of selectors, that advice was passed onto the selection panel via CA chairman David Peever and chief executive James Sutherland, leading to six changes to the squad for the next Test in Adelaide, including three debutants.

Weighing heavily against them in the case of Cummins is the risk of injury.

Given his history of stress fractures, among other injuries, and the minimal red-ball cricket he has played in recent years, Howard's stance is that, when it comes to India and the Ashes, you can't have both. The explanation being that, if the express right-armer were to be sent to India, he would be at significant risk of a breakdown that would jeopardise his Ashes participation in 2017/18

Howard and his team have had a carefully designed plan for Cummins, which included his recent foray into the Futures League competition that sits below the Sheffield Shield, then the ODIs against New Zealand.

Cummins hopes then to play a first Shield match for NSW in six years when the interstate four-day competition resumes after the Big Bash League window on February 1, then aim for the Champions Trophy in England in the winter before being worked up towards a tilt at the Ashes.

The mouth-watering thought of Cummins in the same line-up as Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, and at some point down the track James Pattinson as well, has others asking if he can be brought back earlier. Australia's bowling coach David Saker said last month Cummins was a chance for India and that is understood to be a view endorsed by some at board level.

Selector Mark Waugh last week cautioned against rushing Cummins back into the Test squad as discussion turned to whether he should be in the frame as soon as this week's day-night Test against Pakistan in Brisbane. The paceman is still under what CA medicos call the danger age of 25, which they claim carries additional risk for stress fractures for fast bowlers.

"He hasn't played any four-day cricket," Waugh said. "I think his program is Big Bash and then maybe a Shield match early next year."