CD Gopinath: Aristocratic and regal

My only encounter on the cricket field with CD Gopinath former Test batsman who turns 90 today Barodabased DK Gaekwad is the oldest living India Test player at 91 was way back in 1965 or so when enjoying a huge slice or two of luck I carted the Madras Cricket Club MCC pace bowlers all over the park to the huge amusement of Gopi and his friends in the slipsI was still in my teens quite beardless and a No 10 to boot in a friendly game MCC treated with nonchalance Upset at being laughed at I aimed a few more hefty blows at Prabhakar Rao and Co meeting with more surprising success before I realised the joke was on the bowlers so cavalierly treated by someone clearly not in their leagueIn the morning I had bowled to Gopi MCC always batted first in these practice games and discovered none of his skill had left him though he was by now essentially a Sunday cricketer having played his last Test match in the 195960 seasonGopinath was the aristocrat of the Madras team of the 1950s Not only was he from an elite social background ndash his father CP Doraikannu was general manager of Indian Overseas Bank ndash his cricket too was quite regal A tall sinewy man with an erect stance and polished strokeplay he seemed to have the kind of time to play his shots that tends to invest batting with an air of majesty He averaged over 50 in Ranji Trophy cricket during an era of uncovered turf pitches and matting wicketsGopinath scored two brilliant hundreds in the year Madras won the Ranji Trophy for the first time under Balu Alaganans stewardship sharing the batting honours with his younger teammate AG Kripal Singh He scored 122 against Bengal in the semifinal and 133 against Holkar in the final Remarkably those were the only two Ranji matches he played that season and they also happened to be his first two hundreds in the championship Alaganan who lauded Gopinaths role in that success ndash along with those played by Kripal Singh indubitably the star of the season MK Murugesh AK Sarangapani and others ndash also credited Gopinath with vital tactical inputs He said In the semifinal CD Gopinath plotted Pankaj Roys dismissal on the hook shot off the bowling of BC Alva with his fastish offbreaks We had a fielder about halfway to the boundary Alva bowled short and Roy could not resist the temptation Gopinath had made his firstclass debut in the 194950 season starting inauspiciously with a pair He made 74 and 53 against Mysore at Bangalore next year and never looked backGopinath who became State captain following Alaganans retirement came to be known for his capable leadership but could not repeat Alaganans title success though he continued in his role till 1963 He had been much more successful as captain of the Madras Cricket Club in the local league leading the team to the Palayampatti Shield four times As a batsman Gopinath scored nine firstclass hundreds including 234 against Mysore and 175 versus the touring New Zealand team in 1955He made an impressive Test debut in 195152 playing two lovely innings of 50 not out and 42 against England at Bombay It must have been a daunting experience for the young man to bat at No 8 in a lineup that had Roy Mantri Umrigar Hazare Amarnath and Sarwate and Adhikari bat ahead of him in the order and Vinoo Mankad after him He scored a fluent halfcentury in a first innings total of 485 In the second innings India were 77 for 6 when Gopinath went in and soon 88 for 7 before he and Mankad put on 71 for the eighth wicket He made 35 in the final Test at Madras which India won its first Test victory over EnglandCricketers then did not always accept the selectors invitation to play for India and Gopinath skipped a tour of the West Indies He fared quite well in an unofficial Test series against the touring Commonwealth team and made a few runs in the limited opportunities that came his way in Pakistan in 195455 In the Calcutta Test against Australia next season he played a fighting knock of 39 topscoring as India collapsed but made no run in the second innings He never played for India againAfter his playing days Gopinath became a national selector and toured England in 1979 as the manager of the Indian team When approached for his views he comes across as a thoughtful commentator on the game At a function some years ago he gave the audience amusing glimpses into the past by recalling the infinitesimal smoke allowance Test players received in his days and the nature of the accommodation they enjoyed in Pakistan a railway compartmentToday Gopinath and his wife Comala a champion golfer in her day live at their hillside residence at Coonoor Tamil Nadu His cheerful demeanour and the spring in his step belie his yearsCatch up on all the latest sports news and updates hereAlso download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates