GALLE: Sri Lanka made steady progress to reach 163-1 at tea in the opening Test Sunday against the West Indies, who had debutant Jeremy Solozano taken to hospital after being hit on the helmet while fielding.

Solozano was fielding close in at short-leg when Dimuth Karunaratne attempted a full-blooded pull shot off the bowling of Roston Chase and the ball crashed into the fielder's helmet grill.

Medical staff attended to him on the ground before he was taken on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance which took him to hospital.

Later he was transferred to Colombo where he will undergo scans, with doctors suspecting internal bleeding.

Sri Lanka skipper Karunaratne smashed an unbeaten 89 after a 139-run partnership with Pathum Nissanka, who was brought to the top order with batsman Lahiru Thirimanne unavailable.

Shannon Gabriel provided the breakthrough for the tourists when he had Nissanka -- who was chasing a full delivery wide outside the off-stump -- caught by Rahkeem Cornwall at first slip for 56.

West Indies squandered an opportunity to dismiss Karunaratne on 14 when Rahkeem Cornwall found the outside edge of the bat but Jermaine Blackwood at slip was unable to hold on as he attempted a one-handed grab.

Earlier, West Indies unsuccessfully reviewed after Karunaratne played an uncharacteristic reverse sweep off the left-arm orthodox spin of Jomel Warrican and the ball struck his front pad.

Television replays showed the impact was outside off-stump.