Let's face it, this is not about Rahane vs Rohit. India lost both innings with the top 3 failing to score anything. Vijay, Dhawan and Pujara were terrible. When you're going in with 5 batsmen, the role of the top 3 is to make it easier for the stroke makers later down the order but Virat and Rohit were exposed way too early (not that this lets them off the hook).
I'm most disappointed with Vijay and Pujara. Dhawan sucks...but he should have gone harder at the ball given that's his game. That said, pulling against Steyn or Morkel on these pitches in the first 10 overs is a recipe for disaster. Vijay was supposed to be a brilliant leaver of the ball and fared really poorly.
Pujara for all his stockability needs some scoring shots besides a flick off his pads in these conditions. Some of the balls in the first innings were half volleys that he just defended from the crease. To his credit, Virat looked good in the second innings. All in all, the last couple of tours overseas for India has been all about missed opportunities. They nearly won in New Zealand but let go. Had a 1st innings lead vs SA in both tests in their last tour and still lost one of them and drew the other.
For long India didn't have the bowling resources to win overseas. Now they do....the batsmen need to stand up. For all their stats, these lot don't touch Sehwag, Dravid, Sachin, Ganguly and VVS Laxman.