New Delhi, Jan 4 : Australian cricket great Damien Martyn came out of an induced coma on Sunday and has been showing encouraging signs of improvement as he continues his recovery after being diagnosed with meningitis.

Martyn, who represented Australia in 67 Test matches, fell ill on Boxing Day and was taken to hospital on the Gold Coast late last month, where he was placed in an induced coma. He remains under medical care as his condition continues to stabilise.

Martyn's close friend and former Aussie wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist has revealed that the 54-year-old former batter has made incredible progress in treatment and could be moved out of the ICU soon.

â??He is now able to talk and respond to treatment. He has responded extraordinarily well since coming out (of the coma) to the point where his family feels itâ??s like some sort of miracle," Gilchrist told News Corp.

â??It has been so positive that theyâ??re hopeful he will be able to move out of the ICU into another part of the hospital, which is representative of what a great recovery itâ??s been and how quickly it has flipped around,â?? he added.

Gilchrist also revealed that he spoke to Martyn via FaceTime and said, â??Heâ??s very groggy and far from 100 per cent. But he is certainly communicating and slowly getting an understanding of the enormity of the situation."

â??I think he is a little overwhelmed that people would respond to him in such a positive way which is a beautiful statement, not just from the cricket community but from the wider community as well," said Gilchrist.

Martynâ??s wife, Amanda, provided an update on Saturday, saying he was progressing well and expressing "deepest appreciation to the medical team at Gold Coast University Hospital."

Martyn was instrumental in Australia's 2003 ODI World Cup final victory over India, scoring an unbeaten 88 despite batting with a broken finger and forming a crucial 234-run partnership with captain Ricky Ponting.

He was part of the side that also won the 1999 ODI World Cup and the 2006 Champions Trophy. After his playing career ended, Martyn briefly worked as a commentator.

During his career, Martyn scored 4,406 runs in Test matches at an average of 46.37.

Martyn also played 208 ODIs, scoring 5,346 runs at 40.90, with a highest score of 144 not out. He made a famous 88 not out in the 2003 World Cup final, batting with a broken finger and sharing an epic partnership with captain Ricky Ponting as Australia beat India.

/IANS