Cricket: England bowler James Anderson calls ball-tampering claims 'ridiculous'

Joe Root, captain of England is spoken to by the umpires about the condition of the ball during day four of the fourth test. Photo / Getty

England bowler James Anderson has dismissed insinuations about ball-tampering in the fourth Ashes Test as "ridiculous".

Australian TV cameras broadcast footage which it claimed showed England's all- time leading wicket-taker digging his thumb nail into the ball during Australia's second innings in Melbourne.

England's Australian coach Trevor Bayliss referred to mis-informed over-reaction to the incident as "Pommie-bashing", and it was swiftly and universally acknowledged Anderson had done nothing wrong.

But speaking for the first time about the furore over broadcast frames of him cleaning mud off the ball, in full view of the umpires, and with their approval, Anderson revealed his frustration.

James Anderson was seen on TV "working" the ball. Photo / Channel Nine

"It escalated quite quickly, didn't it?

"Ridiculous, but what we've come to expect ... crazy really.

"I think you've got to have a thick skin, definitely.

"If you start worrying about ex-players or whoever, whether they are opposition ex-players or even English ex-players ... you've got to try to block them out.

"We know as a group how well we are doing as a team, or not well.

"I think that's the most important thing, what we think."

The Ashes campaign concludes with the fifth Test in Sydney, starting on January 4, with the tourists hoping to break their break from 3-0 down.

And Anderson added: "It's a horrible situation, because we thought we had a good chance of winning this series.

"Obviously, it's not turned out that way but we'll just keep working hard and try to ... have one last push ... (and) get a result in Sydney.

"We've got a really strong group, a strong core of players, good management as well but it's just not worked.

"I'd feel disappointed for this group if we didn't get a win on this trip, because we've worked so hard."