India and New Zealand will square off in the WTC final at Southampton from June 18-22.
The Virat Kohli-led Indian side, which holds the No. 1 rankings in the ICC Test rankings, will take on New Zealand in the WTC final at Southampton from June 18-22.
"There is no doubt India produces a lot of revenue for cricket especially through television rights, sponsorships, advertising, attracting big crowds, and through tournaments like IPL, etc. Without India, the face of world cricket would be very different, therefore cricket needs India," Hadlee said in an official ICC release.
"India has made an outstanding contribution to Test cricket -- in fact, all formats of the game. Their Test performances in Australia were outstanding even though they had that blip and were bowled out for 36. They bounced back superbly well, and Test cricket came alive again -- it attracted a lot of interest and their performances in Australia was a remarkable achievement especially with so many youngsters having to come into the team and perform. India has a great depth of talented players in all formats of the game, waiting for their chances to be selected and show the world what they have to offer," he added.
When asked to pick his favourites for the WTC final, Hadlee said: "The Test Championship is a one-off game. Yes, it is a final, but I don't think either team will be too fazed about it. It is a neutral ground with no home team advantage. It is something to look forward to. Both teams deserve to be contesting the final because of their consistent playing performances over a set period of time. It all comes down as to who is better prepared and who adapts better to the English conditions the quickest."
"The weather may also play a part and if it is cold that will favour New Zealand. The Duke ball will suit both team's fast bowlers especially the genuine swing bowlers and the Kiwis are well served in that department with Southee, Boult, and Jamieson. If the ball seams around off the pitch, batsmen in both teams will be challenged. Both teams have high-class batsmen so it will be an interesting game to watch. It is too difficult to call a winner at this stage," he further remarked.
Earlier this year, India registered a historic Test series win Down Under even though the visitors were badly hit by injuries and without their regular skipper Virat Kohli (paternity leave).
Afterwards, India smashed England 3-1 at home to secure their place in the final of World Test Championship.
"Personally, I am a great supporter of Test cricket. That's all I knew when I grew up in the '60s and '70s. Yes, one-day cricket gained momentum in the mid-'70s but there were not many games back then. In the 80's one-day cricket really took off. For me, Test cricket still remains the format to play. It is the foundation on which the game is based, and it must be protected and preserved at all costs. If we lose sight of or neglect Test cricket, we will lose it and not get it back," said Hadlee.
"It is the responsibility of all countries and players alike to keep the Test game alive and cherish the moment when they are playing that format. Test cricket is a real test of a player's mental, physical (fitness), technical, tactical, and skill set ability and attributes over 5 days in changing pitch and weather conditions and in different match situations that players need to adapt to. There is no other game like it," he added.