Remembering C D Gopinath, the last link with the first Test victory
With the death of C D Gopinath — the last member of the team that won India’s first Test victory in Chennai against England in 1952 — the IPL milieu has lost its surviving link with cricket’s amateur era. Behind India’s rise as the dominant force in the game was the love and labour, sweat and tears, of men like Gopinath. The Test win Gopinath and his team engineered is a landmark in Indian cricket, the coming-of-age moment that instilled belief in a nation just five years old.
He was a dashing batsman with a whiplash square cut. Affable and articulate, he made strong friendships with teammates and rivals. His Test career lasted eight games where he shone sporadically. But without his defiant 35 and 93-run stand with Polly Umrigar in the second innings, India’s wait for the first Test win would have lasted longer. Three years later, he captainedTamil Naduto their maiden Ranji Trophy title in 1955.
He regaled his audience with stories, and talked poignantly about the pre-Independence era. He was born on a curfew day in 1930, and the doctor, when prescribing medicine for the newborn, named him “Baby Gun”. Even after calling time on his career, he didn’t sever his ties with the game. He became a selector and spotted Gundappa Viswanath, one of the all-time greats. Even in his 80s, he would turn up for Test matches inChennaiand patiently sit through them. With his departure, Indian cricket has lost its last link with its first Test victory.
- 1The editorial's reference to C D Gopinath's birth on a 'curfew day' in 1930 connects to state powers for maintaining public order. Under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, a District Magistrate can issue orders to prevent disturbances of public tranquility, a power historically used during periods of civil unrest like the pre-Independence freedom struggle.
- 2India's first Test victory against England in 1952, featuring C D Gopinath, is a prime example of post-colonial sports diplomacy. Such events were crucial in reshaping the bilateral relationship between India and the UK, moving from a colonial dynamic to one of equals on the sporting field and strengthening ties within the newly formed Commonwealth of Nations, just five years after India's independence.
- 3The contrast between Gopinath's 'amateur era' and the modern 'IPL milieu' highlights the economic and social transformation of Indian cricket. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), while not 'State' under Article 12, has driven this commercialization, turning the sport into a multi-billion dollar industry. This shift raises legal and social questions about the balance between sporting spirit and commercial interests.
- 4The 1952 victory, described as a 'coming-of-age moment' that instilled belief in the nation, reflects the role of sports in fostering national identity. This aligns with the constitutional ideal of 'fraternity' enshrined in the Preamble. The Supreme Court has also interpreted the right to sports as part of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21, recognizing its national importance.