If you’re looking for a way to do that in WP 2.8.X, here’s how to:

Go in your comment-template.php file in the wp-includes folder, and go to the “get_comments_number” function (approx. line 520).

After “global $id;” (always in the “get_comments_number” function), add ” global $count; “.

That’s it! Now all you have to do, in your index.php file (or whatever), add

I’d recommand changing, in the “get_comments_number” function, the variable “$count ” to something else so a plugin doesn’t “interfere” with this global variable in the future. Per example, in my case, I renamed it to “$countcomments”. So it gives me this:

function get_comments_number( $post_id = 0 ) {
global $id;
global $countcomments; /* First modification */
$post_id = (int) $post_id;

if ( !$post_id )
$post_id = (int) $id;

$post = get_post($post_id);
if ( ! isset($post->comment_count) )
$countcomments = 0; /* Second modification */
else
$countcomments = $post->comment_count; /* Third modification */

return apply_filters(‘get_comments_number’, $countcomments); /* Fourth modification */
}

Now in my index.php, I just putted .

Good luck!