End of an era: India’s oldest Test cricketer and member of first-ever Test-winning team C.D. Gopinath dies at 96
With his death, 95-year-old Chandrakant Patankar became India’s oldest surviving Test cricketer. Patankar featured in a solitary Test against New Zealand in the mid-1950s.
Born in Chennai on March 1, 1930, Chingleput Gopinath was a stylish right-handed batsman known for his wide range of strokes. He played 83 matches in first-class cricket, scoring 4,259 runs in 119 innings at an impressive average of 42.16, including nine centuries and 23 fifties, with a top score of 234.
Gopinath made his Test debut against England at the Brabourne Stadium in 1951 and made his final appearance against Australia at the Eden Gardens in 1960. He impressed with an unbeaten 50 (his highest Test score) in the first innings, batting at 8th over, followed by 42 in the second over, with which India drew the match.
The defining moment of his career came during the same series where India recorded their first Test victory with an innings and eight-run win against England in Chennai. Gopinath contributed 35 runs in this historic match.
Overall he appeared in eight Tests and scored 242 runs at an average of 22 in a half-century. Despite a short international career, he maintained a strong presence in domestic cricket, often leading Madras and delivering consistent performances.
One of his standout innings came on the New Zealand tour, where he scored a fluent 175 for the Southern District against a strong team that included the likes of Bert Sutcliffe and John Reid. After his retirement, Gopinath continued to serve Indian cricket as chairman of selectors and later managed the national team during the 1979 tour of England; this was remembered for Sunil Gavaskar’s iconic 221 in the near-successful chase of 438 at The Oval.
An avid follower of modern cricket, Gopinath enjoyed the IPL and supported the Chennai Super Kings. He was also a fan of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and appreciated not only his skill but also his composure and behavior on the field.
With Gopinath’s passing, Indian cricket bids farewell to a player who quietly bridged generations, rooted in history but always preoccupied with the present.
With PTI, ANI Inputs
