Chennai bid farewell to CD Gopinath on Thursday, with the legendary cricketer passing away at the age of 96. Born in Chennai—then known as Madras—Chingleput Doraikannu (CD) Gopinath represented India in eight Tests from 1951 to 1960, and was regarded as the country’s most senior active Test player at the time of his death.
From India’s early Test glory to the latest passing of the torch
- Gopinath was the final surviving member of India’s first-ever Test triumph, a win over England at Madras in 1952.
- After his passing, Chandu Patankar—an ex-India wicketkeeper-batter who also played for Mumbai and Maharashtra—became the oldest living Indian Test cricketer at 95 years and 136 days.
- Patankar had played a single Test for India, facing New Zealand in 1955.
Patankar reacted to the news with humility, saying he had received the update about Gopinath’s death and was told that he had now become the oldest living Indian Test cricketer. When asked how he managed to maintain his health through his 90s, Patankar attributed it to God’s grace, adding that he does not make any extra effort.
Following his playing days, Patankar went on to serve as secretary of the Cricket Club of India for several years. Known as a wicketkeeper and a lower-order batter during his career, he featured in the New Year’s Test against New Zealand at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in December 1955.
In that match, Patankar contributed 13 runs and remained unbeaten on 1. Behind the stumps, he completed three catches and also carried out one stumping in the first innings. Despite those efforts, he dropped a difficult chance—described as a skier in the account—and was subsequently left out of the playing XI for the fifth Test at Madras’ Corporation Stadium.
Patankar, a resident of Parel, was born in Pen in Maharashtra’s Raigad district. He studied at Bombay University and earned an MSc. His first-class career began with Bombay, for whom he played from 1950 to 1966, before switching to Maharashtra for his final season in 1966–67.
During the 1955–56 Test series against New Zealand, Patankar replaced the wicketkeeper Naren Tamhane after the latter picked up an injury for the fourth match of the five-game sequence. However, Patankar lost his place when Tamhane returned for the last game of the series.
With that single appearance for India, Patankar joins a particular group of 51 cricketers—six of them wicketkeepers—who have played only one Test for the national side.
Those close to Patankar have described him as a “fine human being.” In October 2022, he visited Wankhede Stadium to cast his vote in the elections of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). He also attended the stadium’s 50th anniversary celebrations in January 2025.
As the cricket community remembers Gopinath, the spotlight now also falls on Patankar’s long life and enduring link to India’s Test history.
