Coimbatarao Doraikannu Gopinath, commonly known as C. D. Gopinath, is a former Indian cricketer who represented India in Test cricket during the 1950s. A right-handed batsman, he was associated primarily with the Madras (now Tamil Nadu) cricket team in domestic competition and was part of the Indian side that achieved the country's first Test victory.
| Full name | Coimbatarao Doraikannu Gopinath |
|---|---|
| Known as | C. D. Gopinath |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Role | Batsman |
| Batting style | Right-handed |
| Domestic team | Madras |
| Format | Test cricket |
Gopinath emerged from the Madras cricketing circuit, which during the post-Independence era produced several Test cricketers for India. He developed his game in the Ranji Trophy, the country's premier first-class competition, representing the Madras Cricket Association.
Gopinath was a regular feature of the Madras side in the Ranji Trophy through the 1950s. He was regarded as a stylish top-order batsman in the domestic circuit.
He made his Test debut for India during the 1951–52 season, when the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), touring as England, played a five-Test series in India. Gopinath was a member of the Indian XI that defeated England at the Madras Cricket Club Ground, Chepauk, in February 1952 — India's first ever victory in a Test match, achieved in its 25th Test since admission to Test status in 1932.
Gopinath's place in Indian cricket history is anchored to that maiden Test win at Madras in 1952, a landmark moment that ended a two-decade wait for India's first Test victory. As one of the players who featured in that match, he is counted among the early generation of Indian Test cricketers who helped establish the country as a competitive Test-playing nation. He also contributed to the cricketing tradition of Tamil Nadu, alongside contemporaries who represented Madras in the Ranji Trophy.