With Owen Farrell on a sabbatical and Marcus Smith injured, Ford is preferred at five-eighth for Saturday's clash in Rome, with Northampton's 21-year-old uncapped Fin Smith on the bench. Uncapped winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, also 21, is another of the replacements.
Alex Mitchell has recovered from an infected leg cut to start at halfback, with Danny Care on the bench.
A series of injuries, retirements and unavailability meant that Borthwick's side was always going to have a new look to that which reached the World Cup semi-finals.
Only 13 of that 23-man squad who lost by a point to South Africa will be on duty in Rome, including eight of the starting XV from Paris.
Dingwall will start at inside centre alongside Henry Slade, with Tommy Freeman and Elliot Daly on the wings.
New-Zealand-born Roots is blindside flanker, with Sam Underhill and Ben Earl completing the back row. Uncapped flanker Chandler Cunningham-South is on the bench.
England have lost their opening game in the last four Six Nations and won only two matches in each of the last three seasons, but they have never lost to Italy.
England team: Â Freddie Steward, Tommy Freeman, Henry Slade, Fraser Dingwall, Elliot Daly, George Ford, Alex Mitchell, Joe Marler, Jamie George, Will Stuart, Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum, Ethan Roots, Sam Underhill, Ben Earl.
Replacements: Theo Dan, Ellis Genge, Dan Cole, Alex Coles, Chandler Cunningham-South, Danny Care, Fin Smith, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
