No 14562, Wednesday 13 Aug 2025, KrisKross

Solution to 4D 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. 

Open for anyone to solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Class in college translated Tagore story in the end (8) CATEGORY {C}{TAGORE*}{s..rY}

5   Losing initial momentum, batsmen playing and missing (6) ABSENT BATSmEN*

9   Very large chunk of stollen or mousse (8) ENORMOUS [T]

10 Today, simply change (6) ADJUST {AD}{JUST}

12 What a rustler may do to assess the situation (4,5) TAKE STOCK [DD]

13 To sum up, exhausted after exchange of words (2,3) IN ALL {ALL<=>IN}

14 Unfortunately, healthy food mostly rejected (4) ALAS SALAd<=

16 Bumpy ground around lake (7) NODULAR {AROUND+L}*

19 Say, a clarinet missing note wrongly (7) ARTICLE {A+CLARInET}*

21 Bouquet picked up and mailed (4) SENT (~scent)

24 Weapon with tip broken - look! (5) LANCE gLANCE

25 Juicy cryptic clue: "For starters, cashew nuts" (9) SUCCULENT {CLUE+Ca...w+NUTS}*

27 Bit of light soup, not crackers (6) PHOTON {PHO}{NOT*}

28 Pieces of paper scattered often in traditional celebrations, principally (8) CONFETTI {OFTEN+In+Tr...l+Ce...s}* Semi&lit

29 Can't stand? Do exercises for beginners - try! (6) DETEST {Do}{Ex...s}{TEST}

30 Dirty tea-set broken by that man - one sensitive to taste (8) AESTHETE {HE} in {TEA+SET}* 

DOWN

1   Does Switzerland have the ultimate in chocolates? (6) CHEATS {CH}{EAT}{c...eS}

2  Soldiers wearing uniform reversing a vehicle (6) TROIKA {KI{OR}T}<={A]

3   Group activities making everyone sweat primarily? (5) GAMES Acrostic &lit

4   Screeching on the telephone, make you and I startled (7) R?U?O?S (Addendum - RAUCOUS (~ rock us) - See comments)

6   Invalid ordered to eat red bananas (9) BEDRIDDEN {B{RED*}IDDEN}

7   After due suffering, guy is fit to be trained (8) EDUCABLE {DUE*}{CABLE}

8   Protecting old King Lear, going mad at end of play (8) TUTELARY {TUT}{LEAR*}{plaY}

11 Hide second family (4) SKIN {S}{KIN}

15 He's cruel, evil, without love, wanton (9) LECHEROUS {HES+CRUEL}* over {0}

17 Ran quickly following good hit.. Wicket lost! (8) GALLOPED {G}{wALLOPED}

18 Small function to implement, basically using tables in Excel (5,3) STAND OUT {S}{TAN}{DO}{Us..g}{Ta...s}

20 Crossing borders, stopped for rest (4) EASE cEASEd

21 Most angry, cutting charge for sugar (7) SUCROSE {SU{CROSs}E}

22 Live telecast project! (6) BEETLE {BE}{TELE*}

23 Fight in East River (6) STRIVE [T]

26 Sick fellow in army division (5) UNFIT {UN{F}IT}

Reference List

College = C, Today = AD, Lake = L, Note = N, Switzerland = CH, Soldiers = OR, Second = S, Good = G, Wicket = W, Small = S, Function = TAN, Fellow = F