Former India Test cricketer C D Gopinath, the last surviving member of the team that secured India’s first-ever Test victory, passed away in his sleep at the age of 96 on Thursday at his daughter's residence in Chennai.
Gopinath was also India’s oldest living Test cricketer and the second oldest in the world after Australia’s Neil Harvey. His death marks the end of a significant chapter in Indian cricket history.
Born on March 1, 1930, in Madras (now Chennai), Chingleput Duraikannu Gopinath made his Test debut against England in 1951 at the Brabourne Stadium. Batting at No. 8, he impressed with an unbeaten 50 in his first innings, his highest Test score, and followed it up with 42 in the second innings as India drew the match.
A defining moment in his career came later in that series when India registered their maiden Test victory, defeating England by an innings and eight runs at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Gopinath contributed 35 runs in that historic match.
He went on to play eight Tests and 83 first-class matches, representing India and Madras. In the Ranji Trophy, he scored 2,349 runs, with a highest score of 234 against Mysore in 1958-59. He later captained Madras from 1955–56 to 1962–63, served as a national selector, and managed India’s tour of England in 1979.
Reflecting on his journey, Gopinath had once described his entry into cricket as an act of destiny, having taken up the sport seriously only at the age of 17. “I only knew it as cricket,” he had said, underlining his pure and uncomplicated approach to the game.
He often referred to cricket as a “noble game” that shaped his personality and outlook on life. Known for his grace both on and off the field, he believed in playing the sport in the right spirit and with restraint.
“We were not demonstrative in those days. There was joy, of course, and much handshaking and backslapping… but we were taught to keep our emotions in check,” he had recalled about India’s first Test win.
His career, though brief at the international level, was marked by elegance and resilience, and he remained a respected voice in Indian cricket long after his playing days.