No, it does not help.
It so happened, that in 1975-77, Prof. Lokesh Chandra kindly devoted some of his time to repeatedly try to convince me that my interest in the traditions of Indian untouchables (sweepers and latrine cleaners) would lead to nothing, at best - to bad history.
I do not believe Prof. Chandra was/is sufficiently qualified to judge the quality of Prof. Verardi's archaeological work.
And: Prof. Verardi does not say that <ultimately the Hindu Pandits are to blame for the decline of
Buddhism>. No, he does not, nowhere in the book. But he points to the group interests of the brahmanas, implemented, invariably, thanks to connections with the sphere of political power, in its manifold historical manifestations.