Chennai: “The crowd applauded us for 15 minutes straight after the Test match ended. I still remember that moment,” CD Gopinath told TOI a few years ago, recalling India’s historic maiden win at the (then) MA Chidambaram Stadium in Madras.
It was 1952, and India beat England in the fifth Test by an innings and eight runs. Gopinath scored a magnificent 35, being one among many heroes of that historic game – Venu Mankad (12 wickets), Polly Umrigar (130) and Bankai Roy (111).At the age of 96, the last living member of that team, he died in his sleep here on Thursday.Go beyond boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!“Gopi was a great batsman to watch, a very natural fielder and an intelligent captain. He also kept wicket from time to time.
But what always stood out was his genius,” V Ramnarayan, former Hyderabad bowler and noted cricket historian, who co-wrote Gopinath’s biography, ‘Beyond Cricket – A Life in Many Worlds’, told TOI.Gopinath played in eight Test matches between 1951-1960. But it was not without its share of controversy. “In Gopi’s own words, during the 1952 Test series in England, he was humiliated by captain Vijay Hazare.
“He felt he was being targeted because he is a South Indian and chose not to participate in the next West Indies series,” Ramnarayan said.Gopinath’s contribution to Tamil Nadu cricket was also immense. He was part of the Madras team that won the first Ranji Trophy title in 1954-55. “In the final, against a strong Holkar team that included Mushtaq Ali, he scored 133 in the first innings and had to take over the captaincy at the end of the match,” Ramnarayan added.Besides cricket, Gopinath had other interests, and game hunting was one of them. In 1955-56, Jobe took the visiting New Zealand team on a fishing trip. The historian added: “During their return, they were late and did not return until the morning of the match against Southern Region. But Gobi went on to score 175 goals in that match.”Gopinath played his last Test in 1960 at Eden Gardens and did not extend his first-class career for long either.
In 1962, when he was 32 years old, he retired from cricket because he was working as an administrator for a British company, Gordon Woodruff. “He had a life beyond cricket. He was a great tennis player, and his wife Komala was his mixed doubles partner. They won quite a few tournaments in those days,” Ramnarayan said.Gopinath had a sharp mind, loved playing bridge, followed the current Indian team, and was never shy about talking about cricket. “For us, it was pure passion. We used to get just Rs 250 per Test as ‘smoking money’ and we always traveled by train. We didn’t stay in hotels. Even foreign players used to share accommodation as ‘house guest’. But I don’t regret it,” Gopi told TOI, at one point, the smile never leaving his face.