No. 9472, Thursday, 05 Mar 09, Gridman

Another easy outing today with some nice and interesting clues, I appear to like the style of Gridman, was stuck for a little while on 14D, went for a stroll and returned with 'craft' in mind and voila everything fell into place. Delay in posting on account of the power cuts of Bangalore which have started
ACROSS
 1 -Proverbially, one who was spared the rod? (6, 5) - SPOILT CHILD [CD]
 9 - Lured to cite characters in conclusion (7) - EN{TICE*}D
10 - What V stands for in the high-speed train TGV (7) - VITESSE [CD] I wonder when we will get one of these in India? Lalu has promised us one
11 - Couple of learners about to copy jacket flap (5) - L{APE}L
12 - Close company (9) - NEIGHBOUR
13 - Direction to healthy, large person (5) - W{HALE}
15 - Applicable to military formation that once he led craftily (9) - ECHELONED*
18 - Ruler gets cart back to stay put (9) - {YARD<-}STICK
21 - Setback to back-street cricket matches (5) - TES<-TS
22 - A natty customer may still look for this kind of bargain (4-5) - DIRT CHEAP [CD]
24 - I laze around Professor Higgins’s pupil (5) - ELIZA* From the classic movie 'My Fair Lady'
26 - Industrialist gets fellow to iron crisp fabric (7) - TA{F}{FE}TA I presume the setter is compensating for yesterdays PATTU ;-)
27 - Gathered as a group of fliers did (7) - FLOCKED [2]
28 - Do what a Kamal or Rajini might do (4,3,4) - PLAY THE LEAD [CD] Kamal Haasan and Rajnikanth are the film stars indiacted for those who are not clear about the actors of Tamil Cinema popularly known as 'Kollywood'
DOWN
 1 - How a thief may get into the joint he cased? (5,1,3) - STEAL THE WAY [CD]
 2 - Kept in cask, readily available (2,3) - ON TAP [2] Setters seem very fond of this, I think its the third time I am seeeing this in the past few days
 3 - Newspaper section from where you choose your pub? Not exactly! (5,4) - LOCAL NEWS [CD]
 4 - Boorish fellow therefore does not start to provide voice modulation (7) - CAD(-h)ENCE
 5 - In the street audibly denounce (7) - {IN}VEIGH (~way) Though I have heard the word before I was not very sure of its meaning
 6 - Abandon and land in the sea (5) - DITCH [2]
 7 - Amazes fool by swallowing rancid donut (8) - AS{TOUND*}S
 8 - Expensive letter opener? (4) - DEAR [2] A very simple and nice clue
14 - Make known skill pertaining to glider, perhaps (8) - {AIR}CRAFT Sometimes the brain gets stuck o n one track and a little stroll clears the mind, i was stuck on AIRFRAME for some time.
16 - Set fire to Chief without notice, getting any light (9) - {LIT}HE(head-ad)SOME
17 - Separated, moreover, in bed, after most of the team rose (9) - DIS(-e)B{AND)ED Nice word play here
19 - Some like banana flowers in artful arrangement (7) - IKEBANA [T] How simple the Ikebana arrangementa appear
20 - Maintained well, as one might be with proper diet and exercise (4,3) - KEPT FIT [CD]
22 - While writing, they finish some letters! (4) - DATE [CD] (Correction - DOTS)
23 - About to look up an unpleasant fellow (5) - C{REEP<-}
25 Kin unwinds the French linen tape (5) - {INK*}LE New word for me