End of an era: Last member of India’s first Test win, CD Gopinath, dies at 96
CD Gopinath, the last surviving member of India's historic 1952 Test win against England, passed away at 96. A natural batsman and shrewd captain, Gopinath also contributed significantly to Tamil Nadu cricket, leading them to their first Ranji Trophy title. Beyond cricket, he was an avid hunter and a skilled tennis player.
CHENNAI: “The crowd applauded us for 15 minutes at a stretch after the Test match was over. I still remember that moment,” CD Gopinath told TOI a few years ago, recalling India’s historic first Test win at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Madras (then). It was 1952, India had beaten England in the fifth Test by an innings and eight runs.
Gopinath had scored a breezy 35, to be one among that historic game’s many heroes — Vinoo Mankad (12 wickets), Polly Umrigar (130) and Pankay Roy (111). At 96, the last living member of that team, he passed away in his sleep here on Thursday. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
SUBSCRIBE NOW! “Gopi was a lovely batsman to watch, a very natural player, and a shrewd captain. He also kept wickets from time to time.
But what always stood out was his geniality,” V Ramnarayan, former Hyderabad off-spinner and a well-known cricket historian, who co-wrote Gopinath’s autobiography, ‘Beyond Cricket — A Life In Many Worlds’, told TOI. Gopinath played in eight Test matches, between 1951-60. But it wasn’t without its share of controversies.