CD Gopinath, India’s last survivor of maiden Test win, dies at 96

C. D. Gopinath, one of Indian cricket’s most respected figures and the last surviving member of the team that secured India’s first-ever Test victory, passed away at 96 in Chennai. He captained Madras, served as a national selector, chaired the selection committee, and managed the Indian team during the 1979 England tour.

Chennai: Indian cricket lost one of its oldest and most respected figures on Thursday with the passing of C. D. Gopinath at the age of 96. He was the final surviving member of the Indian team that registered the country’s first-ever Test victory, following the death of Datta Gaekwad earlier in 2024.

Born in Chennai, then known as Madras, on March 1, 1930, Gopinath represented a classical era of cricket. The right-handed batter earned recognition through consistent performances in domestic cricket for Madras, which eventually paved the way for his selection to the national side.

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According to reports, Gopinath passed away peacefully in his sleep at his daughter’s residence in Adyar, Chennai.

He made his Test debut during the 1951–52 series against England and made an immediate impression. In his first match, he scored an unbeaten half-century, followed by a solid knock in the same series at the Brabourne Stadium. He played his last international match against Australia at Eden Gardens in 1960.

Gopinath also played a key role in India’s landmark Test win against England in Chennai. In that match, he contributed a crucial 35 runs and held an important catch to dismiss Brian Statham off the bowling of Vinoo Mankad, who was the star performer, taking 8 wickets for 55 runs in the first innings and 4 wickets in the second, for a total of 12 wickets in the match, helping India secure a historic triumph.

Tamil Nadu Cricket Association mourned the death of the legendary player. “Rest in peace, CD Gopinath! A true pioneer of Indian cricket and the last surviving member of the historic team that scripted India’s first-ever Test victory. Your legacy will forever be etched in the game’s rich history,” The board wrote on X.

Gopinath captained the Madras side for several seasons between the mid-1950s and early 1960s. Later, he became a national selector in the 1970s and went on to chair the selection committee. He also served as the Indian team manager during the 1979 tour of England.

In his international career, Gopinath played eight Tests, scoring 242 runs, including an unbeaten fifty. In first-class cricket, he amassed 4,259 runs in 83 matches, registering nine centuries and 23 half-centuries.