New Delhi, Jan. 5 -- Former Australian cricketer Damien Martyn has come out of an induced come after being diagnosed with meningitis and is talking to his loved ones, close friend and his former teammate Adam Gilchrist confirmed on Sunday. Martyn, one of the most feared middle-order batters of his time, was admitted to hospital in Queensland on December 27 after falling ill.

A former wicketkeeper himself, Gilchrist and Martyn won two ODI World Cups for Australia together in 1999 and 2003. On behalf of Martyn's family, Gilchrist revealed that the 54-year-old is "now able to talk".

"It's been an unbelievable turn of events in the last 48 hours," Gilchrist said in a statement. (Martyn) has responded extraordinarily well since coming out of...