Damien Martyn's family issues statement days after legend's hospitalization for meningitis

Former Australian cricketer Damien Martyn's family has issued a statement on his battle with meningitis. For the uninitiated, Martyn was hospitalized after he was unwell and found in a critical state on December 26. He was then placed in an induced coma after his health further degraded.

However, Martyn's family has confirmed that the former Aussie batter is progressing well under treatment, much to the relief of the cricketing fraternity.

"Damien is progressing well with his medical treatment. We also want to express our deepest appreciation to the medical team at Gold Coast University Hospital, who have been nothing short of amazing throughout this challenging time. This has been a trying time, and the family ask that you respect their privacy," the statement read (via India Today).

Martyn's former Australian teammate, Adam Gilchrist, had stated something along similar lines a couple of days back about the 54-year-old's recovery. Martyn is one of Australia's most accomplished batters, scoring almost 10,000 international runs with 18 centuries in 279 matches.

Damien Martyn starred in Australia's famous 2004 BGT win in India

Damien Martyn thwarted India in crucial moments throughout his career, and none more so than the 2004 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India. After a vital 88* in the 2003 ODI World Cup final in Australia's win over India, the right-hander displayed his arsenal against spin in the four-Test series in India the following year.

After a relatively quiet first Test, Martyn produced a sensational 104 in the second Test in Chennai, ensuring Australia escaped with a draw. The elegant batter saved his best for the series-clinching third Test in Nagpur, when he scored 114 and 97 in the two innings, helping the visitors pull off a 342-run victory.

Damien Martyn finished the series with another sublime half-century in the final Test in Mumbai under extreme batting conditions. He was the series' leading run-scorer with 444 runs at an average of over 55 as Australia overcame their demons in India and clinched a 2-1 series win.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran