The match I'll describe is the final of the cricket World Cup in 2023, between India and Australia. I watched it on a giant screen that had been set up in a shopping mall courtyard in Hyderabad, where I work as a software tester. I went with about six colleagues straight after our shift.
The atmosphere at the start was unbelievable. There must have been two thousand people there, most of them wearing blue shirts, with drums, flags and painted faces. Every time an Indian batsman hit a boundary, the whole courtyard exploded, and complete strangers were hugging each other. Unfortunately, as the evening went on, it became clear that Australia were going to win. The mood slowly changed. The drums went quiet, and by the end people were just standing there in silence, some of them actually crying. A few people left early, but most stayed and even clapped politely when Australia lifted the trophy.
As for why I chose a crowd instead of home, I think it's because big matches feel more real when you share them. At home I'd have been checking my phone and making tea; in the crowd I felt completely absorbed. Even the defeat was easier to bear with other people, because everyone was disappointed together, and we spent ages afterwards analysing what went wrong over chai. There was also something touching about seeing so many different people, students, families, security guards, all caring about the same thing. I'd definitely do it again, though hopefully next time with a happier ending.