Morappakam Josyam Gopalan pronunciationⓘ (6 June 1909 – 21 December 2003) was an Indian sportsman who represented India in cricket[1] and hockey.
[citation needed] Another performance of some significance were the two matches in 1930 for Madras against the Vizianagram XI which included Jack Hobbs.
In the first, Gopalan dismissed Hobbs in both innings; in the second he clean bowled the great man with a leg-cutter that pitched on the leg stump and took the off bail.
[2] When Ranji Trophy was inaugurated in 1934, Madras and Mysore (now Tamil Nadu and Karnataka) played the first match.
It was known beforehand that Gopalan would have a small role to play in the England tour because of the presence of Mohammad Nissar and Amar Singh.
He was then about a No.10 batsman, but by steady application he showed what improvement a bowler who really tries can make in batting and later on played many fine innings".
An annual cricket match was instituted between Madras and Ceylon (later Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka) for the M. J. Gopalan Trophy.
This yearly tournament continued with a few interruptions till Sri Lanka got Test status in the early 1980s.