C.D. Gopinath, who had been the last surviving member of India’s first Test-winning team, passed away peacefully in his sleep at his daughter’s house in Adyar here on Thursday. He was 96.
Gopinath, born in Madras (now Chennai), made his Test debut against England during the 1951-52 series. A right-handed batter, he had scored an unbeaten 50 and 42 during the second Test at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
India won its first Test in the last game of the said series at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, where Gopinath contributed 35 runs before Roy Tattersall dismissed him.
Gopinath had captained Madras from 1955–56 to 1962–63. He also served as national selector for a while before managing the 1979 tour to England. In the Ranji Trophy, Gopinath finished with 2,349 runs, with a highest score of 234 against Mysore in 1958-59.
Published on Apr 09, 2026