C.D. Gopinath, India’s oldest Test cricketer and the last surviving member of the team that secured the country’s first-ever Test victory, has died at the age of 96 in Chennai.
Born on March 1, 1930, Gopinath represented India in eight Test matches and played 83 first-class games for Madras. He made his Test debut against England at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium in 1951 and played his final international match against Australia at Eden Gardens in 1960.
Batting in the lower middle order, Gopinath made an immediate impact on debut, scoring an unbeaten 50 in his first innings — his highest Test score — followed by 42 in the second innings, helping India secure a draw.
He was also part of the historic Indian side that registered the nation’s first Test victory in 1952, defeating England by an innings and eight runs in Chennai. Gopinath contributed 35 runs in that landmark match.
Over his Test career, he scored 242 runs in 12 innings. In first-class cricket, he amassed 4,259 runs at an impressive average of 42.16.
In a 2024 interview, Gopinath reflected on India’s first Test win as a turning point in the country’s cricket history, noting he was the only surviving member of that team at the time.
Following his passing, Chandrakant Patankar, aged 95, becomes India’s oldest living Test cricketer.
Gopinath’s death marks the end of a historic chapter in Indian cricket, linking the modern game to its early milestones.
