The Hindu Crossword 8230 Solutions - by Vinod & Rajagopal

Across
1 Speech sound in one syllable as in `coin' (9) DIPHTHONG (Direct)
5 The horseman's stipulation (5) RIDER (Double Defn.)
8 Big characters from New Delhi and Islamabad? (8) CAPITALS (Double Defn.)
9 Steal from a garden with a rugby move, please, to start with (6) SCRUMP (rugby move=SCRUM, please, to start with=1st letter of Please=P => SCRUM+P)
11 Eastern lake could be frightening (5) EERIE (Eastern=E, lake=ERIE => E+ERIE)
12 Natural disasters, could be, not man-made things (4,2,3) ACTS OF GOD (Cryptic Defn.)
13 Move casually, say, accepting deposit (6) SASHAY (say=SAY, deposit=ASH=>say, accepting deposit = S(ASH)AY)
14 An English resort said to bring cheer (8) BRIGHTEN (An English resort=BRIGHTON=>An English resort said=homonym of BRIGHTON meaning cheer)
16 Instruction in good art in a novel way (8) TRAINING (in good art in a novel way = ana. IN+G(good)+ART+IN)
18 Get a boat in shape (6) OBTAIN (a boat in shape = ana. A+BOAT+IN)
22 Meal starter absolves famous publisher (5,4) CLEAR SOUP (absolves=CLEARS, famous publisher=OUP(Oxford University Soup) => CLEARS+OUP)
23 The spirit of The Tempest (5) ARIEL (Direct)
24 The idea that the Italian found reversed in the middle of the day (6) NOTION (Italian=IT=>Italian found reversed=TI, middle of the day=NOON=>Italian found reversed in the middle of the day = NO(TI)ON)
25 Call at funeral for a final delivery of mail (4,4) LAST POST (Double Defn.)
26 Fetter the murderer, hot within (5) CHAIN (murderer=CAIN, hot=H=>murderer, hot within = C(H)AIN)
27 In the marina, cop became comprehensive (9) PANORAMIC (marina, cop became = MARINA+COP)

Down
1 Writer whose expectations were great! (7) DICKENS (Direct)
2 Old Egyptian paper (7) PAPYRUS (Direct)
3 Oddly, northern boatmen are naturally fitted to their role (2,3,6,4) TO THE MANNER BORN (Oddly, northern boatmen = ana. NORTHERN+BOATMEN)
4 It is used to reduce friction and to foil cantankerousness a bit (6) OILCAN (Container => fOIL CANtankerousness)
5 A bit of Britain in Spain, a pillar of Hercules (4,2,9) ROCK OF GIBRALTAR (Direct)
6 Get drug spilt on floor covering (7) DRUGGET (Get drug spilt = ana. GET+DRUG)
7 Inveigled with a cord and racket (5,2) ROPED IN (cord=ROPE, racket=DIN => ROPE+DIN)
10 A test or examination to reveal a large stock (5) STORE (Container => teST OR Examination)
15 A bulb one fixed in stormy noon (5) ONION (one=I, stormy noon=ONON=>one fixed in stormy noon = ON(I)ON)
16 The C-in-C designed a practical method to deal with a task (7) TECHNIC (The C-in-C designed = ana. THE+CINC)
17 Severe mental deficiency in people: it arises in extremes of anorexia (7) AMENTIA (extremes of AnorexiA=AA)
19 Wing-like shape to support old boxer (7) ALIFORM (old boxer=ALI, shape=FORM=>shape to support old boxer = ALI+FORM)
20 Nothing about the ear or about a great African river (7) NILOTIC (Nothing=NIL, about the ear=OTIC => NIL+OTIC)
21 A twist in the foot? (6) SPRAIN (Direct)