"India plays Pakistan is where the real beauty of hockey lies. It's wonderful and together we can counter the Europeans by playing at regular level," Indian captain Dilip Tirkey told AFP.

Tirkey-led India returned home Saturday after featuring in the Pakistan leg of the eight-match revival series between the arch rivals.

Pakistan won the first match in Karachi by 2-1 and the third at Peshawar by 3-2 while India rocked their rivals in the second match in Quetta with a 4-1 victory.

The teams drew the final match 4-4 in Lahore on Friday and now move to India where the second leg of the series will be held between October 4-10.

"We need to make joint efforts to counter the European onslaught and I am a firm believer that if we play each other annually we can improve more and be in a better position to counter Europeans," said Tirkey, whose side was the first from India to tour Pakistan since 1999.

Pakistan and India played bilateral series on regular basis between 1978 to 1988 and then played two series in 1998 and 1999 before political tensions over the disputed Himalayan state of Kashmir put the rivalry on hold.

India agreed to revive the stalled sporting relations amid a thaw in relations and their cricket team toured Pakistan in March-April this year followed by the hockey series.

Pakistan captain Waseem Ahmed said he believed crowds can return to hockey games if both countries play regularly.

"We can't compete with cricket where crowds come in numbers but I am confident that if we play on a regular basis we can bring people back to hockey fields in both the countries," he said.

India's 1975 World Cup winning captain Ajit Pal Singh said hockey in both countries was not as bad as critics have been saying.

"Pakistan and India must join forces in international hockey but things are not as bad as has been projected," said Singh, one of four former Indian Olympians who were here as guests.

"Astro-turf and changing rules have destroyed the Asian hockey and now we lack quality players but playing each other will give our hockey the impetus," said Singh, a renowned center half of his days.

Another Indian Olympian Aslam Sher Khan said both the countries must fight to bring at least one big event back on natural grass which became obsolete since the introduction of artificial turf in mid-1970s.

"Besides playing each other we need to fight to bring at least the World Cup back on natural grass because artificial turf has given Europeans the edge," said Aslam.

Pakistan's Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans said both countries have contributed much at international level.

"Pakistan and India have contributed so much at international level so they playing each other is good for world hockey but they also play against Europeans," said Oltmans.

India's German Gerhard Rach coach backed Oltmans.

"I don't subscribe to the view of Asian hockey and European hockey, hockey is hockey but Pakistan playing India is more intense than normal matches," said Rach.