A Rare Breed

Double internationals in sports are a rare species. Morappakam Joysam Gopalan,who passed away in Chennai on December 21, not only excelled in cricket andhockey but also represented India in the two disciplines. At 97, he was theoldest surviving Test cricketer. The mantle’s now passed on to DonaldCleverley, who played two Tests for New Zealand before and after World War II.The Kiwi was born on December 23, 1909.

Born in a family of astrologers in Chengalput in Maduranthakam district of TamilNadu, Gopalan's date of birth was given as June 6, 1909, by most cricket books,including Wisden. But Gopalan himself clarified a couple of years ago that hewas indeed born on the same day but in 1906. "I don’t know how the schoolwhere I studied listed my year of birth as 1909. But it remained an acceptedentry. It’s so long ago that I don’t know how it happened. But I can confirmI was born in 1906," he asserted.

Gopalan did his schooling at Kellet High School after his family settled down inTriplicane. Though he represented it in many indoor and outdoor sports, hedistinguished himself in cricket and hockey. Not being affluent, collegeeducation remained a dream for him. But he was destined to scale dizzy heightsin sports. Impressed by Gopalan’s excellence in two disciplines,C.P. Johnstone of Burmah-Shell helped him get a job in the multi-nationalcompany.

It didn’t take Gopalan much to establish himself as an icon once he turned outfor Emmanuel Club in the Madras League. Apocryphal or real, tales of hisexploits abound. He was a stalwart of the Triplicane Cricket Club for almostthree decades and old-timers recall his stellar shows against arch rivalMylapore RC in particular. He was so talented that even experts were unsurewhether he was a better cricketer or a hockey player.

As a cricketer, he was more than a handy all-rounder. Tall and athletic, he wasa shrewd right-arm medium-pacer and a hard-hitting batsman.

Gopalan was a brilliant centre half in hockey who dazzled initially for YMIAand then became a kingpin for the Madras United Club. His stick-work was said tobe as aesthetic as his bowling and batting were exciting. Wielding the stick orthe willow, he was capable of sending the cognoscenti into raptures.

Gopalan, who made his first-class debut for the Indians against the Europeans inthe Presidency match in 1927, and bowled Jack Hobbs with an outswinger, was toremain a tower of strength in Madras cricket, having carved a special niche forhimself with his all-round skills and match-winning ability.

He had the distinction of bowling the first-ever delivery in Ranji Trophyagainst Mysore at Madras on November 4, 1934. He led Madras and South Zone forseveral years. He also captained South Zone against John Goddard’s mighty WestIndies, the first foreign team to visit independent India in 1948-49.

In an impressive first-class career interrupted by the World War, he took 194wickets at 24.20 apiece, scored 2916 runs (including one century) at 24.92 andheld 49 catches.

Gopalan played his solitary Test against Douglas Jardine’s England team atthe Eden Garden in Kolkata in 1933-34. He claimed a wicket (Jim Langridge), made11 not out and 7 batting at No. 10 and took three catches in the drawn match.

A few months later, he was chosen as a member of the Indian hockey team thattoured New Zealand under Dhyan Chand. It was the high-noon of Indian hockey anddespite the presence of several stars in the side, Gopalan held his own by some spectacular performances.

In 1936, two major events beckoned Gopalan: the Berlin Olympics and India’scricket tour of England. He was faced with a dilemma as he was a certainty inthe cricket side and an automatic choice in the hockey squad following hissplendid showing in New Zealand.

Gopalan opted for cricket, thus denying himself a gold medal which the Indianhockey team retained in Germany. He must have repented going to England wherelimited opportunities and some unimaginative, eccentric captaincy by theMaharaja of Vizianagaram never allowed him to play his natural game.

Always energetic and enthusiastic, Gopalan continued to play competitive cricketand hockey while into his 40s. He used to cycle a lot, moving from cricketgrounds to hockey fields. The high, wide and handsome Gopalan was the sportsmanfor innumerable aficionados of his generation.

His retirement wasn’t less eventful. He served the BCCI as a selector, waschairman of the state selection committee and a vice-president of the Tamil NaduCricket Association. The main gate of the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai isnamed after him. From the 1950s to the late 1980s, Madras and Ceylon (laterTamil Nadu and Sri Lanka) competed in the annual cricket match for the GopalanTrophy. The contest always had the seriousness of a Test match.

Gentility and modesty personified, on and off the field, Gopalan was a highlyrespected figure in Chennai and elsewhere in Tamil Nadu. Unlike many oldsportsmen, he was never critical or cynical of the modern players. SunilGavaskar always made it a point to touch Gopalan's feetwhenever the two met at a public gathering.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1964.