"He's ​a young gun who will be an exceptional player," Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur said. "I'll go so far as to say at the same age I reckon he's as good as Virat Kohli, which I know that's high praise but he's right up there."

Even with the disclaimer, that is some rap as Kohli, along with England's Joe Root, Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealand's Kane Williamson, is rated one of the best batsmen in the world. But is it justified?

The sample size in the Test scene is only small. Babar, 22, is averaging 46 after three games compared to Kohli's 15.2. Kohli played those games abroad while Babar's record includes an unbeaten 90 in what Arthur describes as "unbelievably trying circumstances".

It's in the 50-over arena where there is more evidence to work with. Babar's average of 52 with three centuries after 18 games compares favourably with Kohli's 50 and one ton.

Whether or not Babar can adjust to the bouncier wickets in Australia, as Kohli has, will determine whether he leaves these shores with the same respect from locals as the Indian superstar did on his debut Test tour here in 2011-12.

Pakistan have just the one tour match to acclimatise to Australian conditions, which is an improvement on their tour of New Zealand where rain wreaked havoc with their preparations. Their best score in their four innings was their 230 in the second and final Test, where they lost nine wickets in the final session to slump to a 2-0 series loss.

"I think we've become better and better as the series has gone on," Arthur said on Perth's 6PR radio station. "We arrived straight from Dubai to five days of rain in Nelson so we didn't get any training or a practice game, which was completely rained out. And there was an earthquake as well.

"We almost went into the first Test match pretty cold, played OK there and we've played a lot better in this Test match. Had this series gone another Test match we would have been better for the conditions.

"Hopefully this has put us in good stead for what we can experience in Australia."