The Hindu Crossword 8202 Solutions - by Vinod & Rajagopal

Was out of town over the last 2 days, hence no blogs. Back in full steam.

Across
1 Diplomat, one getting married, keeps money where the patient gets attention (10,4) CONSULTING ROOM (Diplomat=CONSUL, one getting married=GROOM, money=TIN=>Diplomat, one getting married, keeps money = CONSUL+TIN+GROOM)
8 A number Pole leaves needing water (6) THIRTY (Pole=S, needing water=THIRSTY=>Pole leaves needing water = THIRSTY-S)
9 Liquor, neat one, set flowing (8) ANISETTE (ana. NEAT+I(one)+SET)
11 An ideal thing? What a vision: Queen Mary II? (9) DREAMBOAT (a vision=DREAM, Queen Mary II=BOAT => DREAM+BOAT)
12 Give up what is produced (5) SPEND (Direct)
13 A not-so-heavy barge (7) LIGHTER (Double Defn.)
15 In drink, I'd be lacking interest (7) INSIPID (In=IN, drink=SIP, I'd=ID => IN+SIP+ID)
17 Egg's white or blue? Man confused (7) ALBUMEN (ana. BLUE+MAN)
19 Notice a point editor modified as needed (7) ADAPTED (Notice=AD, a=A, point=PT, editor=ED => AD+A+PT+ED)
21 Savage old Indian law: beginning of limitation (5) FERAL (old Indian law=FERA, beginning of limitation=L => FERA+L)
23 Overcome awful flu? That's clever (9) MASTERFUL (Overcome=MASTER, awful flu=ana. FLU=FUL => MASTER+FUL)
25 Rigorous trial to assess worth of new cats' diet (4,4) ACID TEST(ana. CATS+DIET)
26 Accusation made by Daily Globe heartlessly (6) CHARGE (??)
27 For Phoebe, diet isn't somehow irrelevant (6,3,5) BESIDE THE POINT (ana, PHOEBE+DIET+ISNT)

Down
1 Cronin's fortress? (7) CITADEL (Ref. to AJ Cronin's book 'The Citadel')
2 A racket for getting the best points (5) NOISE (??)
3 That is the final word: no more negotiation (9) ULTIMATUM (Direct)
4 Musical compositions for ten? No, it is wrong (7) NONETTI (ana. TEN+NO+IT)
5 Coarse sounding, venomous creature caught in the track (5) RASPS (venomous creature=ASP, track=RS??=>venomous creature caught in the track = R(ASP)S --Coarse sounding should be raspy, not rasps)
6 Cricket side: the spinners turn up immediately (2,3,4) ON THE SPOT (Cricket side=ON THE??, spinners=TOPS=>spinners turn up=SPOT)
7 Required to be made into dough, it is said (6) NEEDED (to be made into dough=KNEADED, 'it is said' is the homonym indicator => NEEDED)
10 The kind of grapes that are hard to get (4) SOUR (Cryptic)
14 Material, B-grade, in English fashion (9) GABERDINE (ana. B+GRADE+IN+E(English))
16 High flier takes steps in vessel (5,4) SPACE SHIP (takes steps=PACES, vessel=SHIP=>takes steps in vessel=S(PACES)HIP)
17 A bar to hold very loud, noisy quarrel (6) AFFRAY (A=A, bar=beam=RAY??, very loud=FF=>A bar to hold very loud = A(FF)RAY)
18 Greeting a team with poles — odd (7) NAMASTE (ana. A+TEAM+NS(poles))
19 Moral fall, failing to start church recess (4) APSE (Moral fall=LAPSE=>Moral fall, failing to start = LAPSE-L)
20 The water in the milk, say (7) DILUENT (Direct)
22 Stick used in some flat hits (5) LATHI (Container => fLAT HIts)
24 Italian physicist who cooked a bit of meat in a raging fire (5) FERMI (bit of meat=M, raging fire=ana. FIRE=FERI=>a bit of meat in a raging fire = FER(M)I)