No 13286, Tuesday 29 Jun 2021, Avtaar

Solution to 14A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

Good mental workout today, with some help from Google.

ACROSS

1   Do well by leaders of community, integrating all locals (6) SOCIAL {SO}{Co...y}{In...g}{All}{Lo...s}

4   Persian script used in talaqs (8) NASTALIQ* Thanks to Google

9   Rare infection of the lung? Pressure is controlled with drug (6) SPARSE {S{P}ARS}{E}

10 Sold off abandoned junk — lie detectors and similar things (2,6) ET CETERI {LIE+DETECTORS-SOLD}*

11 Cricket administrator adapted this incentive system with merit increases, to start with (6,3,5)  CARROT AND STICK (CARROT+AND+STICK+MERIT+In...s = CRICKET ADMINISTRATOR)

13 Spooner sauteed tapioca, say and raisins (5,5) DRIED FRUIT (~ fried root to dried fruit)

14 Wonderful Indian town? (4) ?G?A (Addendum - AGRA [CD] - See comments)

16 Three ways to hold a pen (4) SWAN {S}{W}{N} over {A}

18 Random person one doesn’t want to marry? (10) UNINTENDED {UN INTENDED} [C&DD] See comments

21 Seizing buffalo’s tail violently, lion feels own power like a hawk descending on its prey (2,3,4,5)  IN ONE FELL SWOOP {b...lO+LION+FEELS+OWN+P}*

23 Corner between walls and roof on lounge frequently giving way, can be moved (8) LUGGABLE {GABLE}<=>{LoUnGe}

24 Drone crashed by Avtaar gets flattened (6) IRONED {DRONE}*<=>{I}

25 Stored records in a handheld device carried by lawyers before start of examination (8) DATABASE {D{A}{TAB}AS}{Ex...n}

26 First eleven’s departures (6) ASIDES {A}{SIDES}

DOWN

1   Very very fair (2,2) SO SO {SO}{SO}

2   Tea and toasted pita bread (7) CHAPATI {CHA}{PITA*}

3   Soviet leader in America pulled up by revolutionaries who are under cover, waiting for payment (8) ASSUREDS {US{So...t}A<=}{REDS}

5   National lottery uncovered lapses of vigilance (11) ATTENTIONAL {NATIONAL+loTTEry}*

6   Fly northward from West Estonia (6) TSETSE [T<=]

7   Swimmer turned round, squinting (7) LEERING {EEL<=}{RING}

8   Combination of Lillee and Thomson, perhaps, with Marsh (9) QUICKSAND {QUICKS}{AND}

12 Volunteers performed, say, a special set of Neapolitan dances (11) TARANTELLAS {TA}{RAN}{TELL}{A}{S}

13 Passed around, yet pure (9) DISTILLED {DI{STILL}ED}

15 “Cay” and “Quay” said to be essential elements for searching (8) KEYWORDS {CAY/QUAY ~ key)

17 What the trader who got registered under the Indian tax system claimed in between (7) AMONGST {AM ON GST}

19 Road on the way up had been submerged (7) DROWNED {RD<=}{OWNED}

20 Floor with gold and black polish (6) BEDAUB {BED}{AU}{B}

22 Round, blue, raised rooms in a harem (4) ODAS {O}{SAD<=}

Reference List

Pressure = P, Drug = E, Power = P, Volunteers = TA, Special = S, Black = B